True or False: FMECA can function both as a design tool and a root cause analysis tool.

FMECA, which stands for Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis, is a systematic approach used to identify potential failure modes within a system, assess their impact on the operation of the system, and prioritize them based on their severity and likelihood of occurrence.

As a design tool, FMECA is used during the product development phase to foresee possible failures and design them out, ensuring that products are more reliable right from the start. It allows engineers to consider various aspects of a design and how they might fail, leading to improvements in both design and functionality.

In terms of root cause analysis, FMECA can analyze failures after they occur. By understanding what failures happened and why, FMECA can provide insights into underlying issues that need to be addressed to prevent recurrence. This dual functionality underlines its versatility and usefulness in reliability engineering.

Thus, stating that FMECA can function as both a design tool and a root cause analysis tool is accurate, confirming that the correct answer is indeed true.