How do you calculate a tooling readiness risk score?

Multiply the severity rating by the occurrence rating by the detection rating, using one consistent scale. With severity 6, occurrence 4 and detection 3 the score reflects 6 x 4 x 3 scaled to the preset's 4.55 result.

What is a good tooling readiness score?

Lower is better. There is no universal pass line, but teams typically set an action threshold and attack any risk above it. Compare scores only within the same scale and review the highest-severity items first regardless of total.

What do severity, occurrence and detection mean here?

Severity rates how bad the effect of a tooling failure is, occurrence rates how likely it is to happen, and detection rates how unlikely you are to catch it before it escapes. Higher detection numbers mean worse detectability.

Why use multiplication instead of adding the ratings?

Multiplication is the FMEA RPN convention; it amplifies risks that score high on multiple dimensions so a tool that is severe, frequent and hard to detect rises sharply above one that is only bad on a single axis.

Can a low score still need action?

Yes. A severity of 9 or 10 - a tooling failure that injures an operator or stops the line - warrants action even if occurrence and detection are low and the product score looks modest. Never let the combined number hide high severity.

How is this different from a process FMEA RPN?

The math is identical; the scope is narrowed to tooling and fixturing readiness for launch. It lets the tooling team prioritize their own risks without combing the full PFMEA.

NPI, DFM/DFA & Engineering Change calculator

Tooling Readiness Score Calculator

Tooling Readiness Score applies FMEA-style risk priority logic to tooling and fixturing risks during new product introduction. Tooling engineers and APQP teams use it to rank which tool, die or fixture concerns to fix before a launch when time and budget are tight. By multiplying severity, occurrence and detection into a single number, it turns a pile of subjective tooling worries into a sortable priority list that focuses effort on the risks most likely to cause a launch failure.

What this calculator does

Estimate tooling readiness for npi, dfm/dfa and engineering change using production-ready inputs so teams can rank risks and decide which issue needs containment, controls, or escalation first.
Use it when tooling readiness in npi, dfm/dfa and engineering change needs a defensible ranking against other npi, dfm/dfa and engineering change risks for the next review.
It multiplies the severity, occurrence and detection ratings into a single risk priority score for a tooling readiness concern.

Formula used

Tooling readiness risk score = tooling readiness severity score × tooling readiness occurrence score × tooling readiness detection score
Use the same scoring scale across comparable tooling readiness risks.

Inputs explained

Tooling failure severity rating:
Tooling failure occurrence rating:
Tooling failure detection rating:

How to use the result

Use it during APQP tooling reviews or pre-launch readiness gates to rank competing tooling risks and target mitigation effort.
Like all RPN-style scores it can mask a high-severity risk behind a low product, so always review severity in isolation regardless of the combined score.

Common questions

How do you calculate a tooling readiness risk score? Multiply the severity rating by the occurrence rating by the detection rating, using one consistent scale. With severity 6, occurrence 4 and detection 3 the score reflects 6 x 4 x 3 scaled to the preset's 4.55 result.
What is a good tooling readiness score? Lower is better. There is no universal pass line, but teams typically set an action threshold and attack any risk above it. Compare scores only within the same scale and review the highest-severity items first regardless of total.
What do severity, occurrence and detection mean here? Severity rates how bad the effect of a tooling failure is, occurrence rates how likely it is to happen, and detection rates how unlikely you are to catch it before it escapes. Higher detection numbers mean worse detectability.
Why use multiplication instead of adding the ratings? Multiplication is the FMEA RPN convention; it amplifies risks that score high on multiple dimensions so a tool that is severe, frequent and hard to detect rises sharply above one that is only bad on a single axis.
Can a low score still need action? Yes. A severity of 9 or 10 - a tooling failure that injures an operator or stops the line - warrants action even if occurrence and detection are low and the product score looks modest. Never let the combined number hide high severity.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.