Most everyone agrees that improving a product or process reliability is a good thing. It’s good for customers, factories, and our business. And sometimes it’s difficult to answer the question,

‘What is the value of that reliability activity?’

What if your boss asks you what value you provide to the organization? Your answer may to harder to compose than you think.

How would you quantify your skills, experience, and knowledge and your role within the complex formal and informal working environments? [Read more…]

In short, you probably do, better reliability performance the better the brand image.

When I’m making a purchase I prefer to buy items that I either have personal experience work well over time (reliable) or have many comments and reviews noting the durability.

As a reliability engineer, I am often asked what kind of car I drive (a Toyota Highlander, if must know). Reliability does matter -not only to me- it matters for many making a buying decision.

When a product’s actual reliability performance exceeds the customers expected reliability performance, the customer may consider the product reliable. This experience builds and when supported by other experiences from the same brand, increases brand equity. High brand equity permits a price premium, increased brand loyalty, and increased positive word of mouth support. [Read more…]

Value is:

the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth,
or usefulness of something. [1]

As a reliability engineer, we work across the organization to bring a reliable product to market. The value of meeting the customer’s reliability expectations results in customer satisfactions, increased sales, and in some cases premium pricing.

We want a reliable product.

[Read more…]

Most agree that improving products or process reliability is a good thing. It’s good for customers, factories, and our business.

And, sometimes it’s difficult to answer the question,

What is the value of that reliability activity?

Years ago my boss asked me what value I provided the organization. Working as a reliability professional, I thought that my value was obvious. He asked me to show the value.

It was harder than I thought.

[Read more…]

Value for any business activity is a guiding principle to stay in business.

While not always about money, it is about value. We invest in product design and distribution, plant design and operation, to realize a benefit or return on the investment which makes the investment worth the effort and time. Same with our individual work- we endeavor to make a difference and realize not just a paycheck, (well some do). Increasing value is our responsibility as reliability professionals.  [Read more…]

What is reliability management? Reliability Engineering? Would a product design or an organization benefit with a focus on reliability management and engineering? What is the value of a focus on reliability?

Any organization, that develops and produces products, has resource limits. It may be talent, capabilities, time, funding, or some combination of these. Yet, the goal to create a product that meets customer expectations includes the concept of product reliability. The product should provide the expected functions over time, without failure. This expected product reliability occurs, even if the design requirements and advertising do not explicitly mention product reliability. [Read more…]