How to Model Switching Systems Perfectly
podcast episode with speaker Chris Jackson
Switching systems can be great. The idea is that we can use redundant components to extend the life of a system … and protect the ‘standby’ component from harm until the ‘primary’ component fails. To do this, we need a switch. This often means that we get better reliability than a ‘parallel system’ where both redundant components start wearing out from day one. By protecting the standby component with a switch, reliability can be greatly extended. However, the analysis of a switching system can be challenging. The switch can fail, and the standby component has different reliability characteristics in ‘standby’ and ‘operational’ modes. Many textbooks model switching systems using very basic assumptions to simplify the analysis. But … these assumptions are so inaccurate for most real-world systems that they estimate reliability to be worse than that of a parallel system! This webinar shows you how to model switching (and other complex) systems using Monte Carlo Simulation in Excel … to come up with a ‘perfect’ model to ensure that all that hard work that goes into designing a switching system is not missed by the subsequent analysis! This Accendo Reliability webinar was originally broadcast on 24 February 2026.
To view the recorded video/audio and PDF workbook of the event, visit the webinar page.
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