Speaking Of Reliability: Friends Discussing Reliability Engineering Topics | Warranty | Plant Maintenance

Getting Questions Answered Abstract Dianna and Fred discuss the challenges in asking others reliability questions and getting questions answered. Key Points Join Dianna and Fred as they discuss getting questions answered about reliability. Topics include: places to ask questions being able to say “failure” ways to look at asking questions to help you ask yours […]

Moose Lodge Syndrome Abstract Greg and Fred discuss how institutions can and should adapt, but often don’t.  The result is that even most Fortune 500 companies have a 10 year half life. Key Points Join Greg and Fred as they discuss the inability of organizations to change and pivot.  ‘Moose Lodge Syndrome’ is a metaphor […]

Check Your (Decision Making) Bias Abstract Greg and Fred discuss how bias is a part of all of us.  Our challenge is that bias impacts our decision making from simple rules of thumb to complex decisions. Key Points Join Greg and Fred as they discuss heuristic and complex decision making.   Topics include: What are decision […]

The 'hazard rate' and 'failure rate' are terms that are often used by reliability engineers. Sometimes they are used in ways that make them seem as if they are the same thing. But are they? If you don't know ... then listen to this podcast!

Field data is often too simple. For example, we might only have usage or times to failure in terms of calendar time where we know the date our product was installed, and the date when it failed. But what if our product isn't being used the whole time? ... or being used at different rates? ... and it is this time and rate that affects failure? What do we do?

Risk vs Reliability Abstract Carl and Fred discuss whether the reliability community should focus on the body of knowledge associated with risk or reliability. Key Points Join Carl and Fred as they discuss risk versus reliability, and how they interact in bringing about safe and economical products. Topics include: Risk as uncertainty Is everything focused […]

When I Know it’s Not Right Abstract Carl and Fred discuss a question brought up at recent conference: what do you do when you are supposed to do something that you know is not the right thing to do? The context was reliability engineering and management. Key Points Join Carl and Fred as they discuss […]

When to Consider Reliability Abstract Kirk and Fred discuss at what point in the product development process should we consider applying reliability engineering to the concept and actual prototypes. Key Points Join Kirk and Fred as they discuss the reliability process and reliability tools and methods and when to apply them. Topics include: Reliability development […]

Predicting the Unknowns Abstract Kirk and Fred discuss the world of reliability predictions and the issue of predictions when many, if not most of the causes of unreliability, are surprises. Key Points Join Kirk and Fred as they discuss use of good design rules and building in some margins of safety, but yet when the […]

If you want to be a good reliability engineer ... be helpful. If you are helpful, then people will come back to you. It doesn't matter if you work as a consultant or in a cell in an organization. Too many reliability engineers are more focused on 'doing things right' ... which is another way of saying that we often want people to do things the 'perfect' way as we see it. But being helpful is more important than this. And if you are not helpful, you are not helping.