Reliability Fundamentals Archives

The Quality Triangle and Reliability

The quality triangle is an admission that every project has design constraints. Note that reliability is rarely listed directly within the triangle, yet reliability does impact each element of the triad.

In a world where the design team is beset with numerous design for X priorities, understanding how reliability related to the top three and most common set of constraints is imperative.

For any set of priorities, you should be able to convey how addressing reliability performance in the design and assembly process impacts those priorities. Addressing reliability can improve quality, reduce the risk of launch delays, and reduce the cost of a product. All this and improve customer satisfaction as well.

Let’s explore a few ways you can connect reliability priorities to the common quality triangle priorities. [Read more…]

by Fred Schenkelberg Leave a Comment

Determining Customer Reliability Requirements

Determining What Customers Really Want Concerning Reliability

Customers want the benefits created by your product. They want the time savings, the reduced yield loss, they want simplicity, coolness, speed, etc.

Customers buy your product to solve a problem, they do not buy it to simply enjoy the features. The features have to do something of value. They have to provide a benefit.

If your product fails, the feature doesn’t work. Customers do not realize the benefit they expected.

In short, your customer wants your product to work as expected. When asked a customer will tell you they do not want to have product failures. [Read more…]

by Fred Schenkelberg Leave a Comment

You Are a Reliability Leader, Now Make a Difference

Your Reliability Engineering Leadership Role

Leadership is not a position or title within an organization. It is an attitude.

You’ve seen the internet meme’s about the difference between leadership and management. There is a difference and while not everyone is going to be in top management, everyone can (and should) be a leader.

As a reliability professional, you are conveniently looked to for leadership. You are expected to use your knowledge and skill to solve problems. To help teams solve problems. To improve the reliability performance of your system and across your industry. [Read more…]

by Fred Schenkelberg Leave a Comment

Using Reliability Goals to Set Requirements

Customers of your product would like the particular one they have to work. To work over time.

If a product meets the customer’s expectation by working as long or longer than they expected it to do so, then they may consider your product reliable.

We use reliability goals to discuss the customer’s reliability expectations. It is the establishment of requirements that converts the customer expectations to development and production obligations. [Read more…]