How to Ensure Product or Process Reliability

Reliability pertains to the probability of success and occurrences of failures for particular products or tasks: Will a product perform as intended according to particular conditions? (Defining Reliability Programs, www.theriac.org/DeskReference/).

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

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   The first step to ensure reliability is consideration of product or process design. One should make sure product designs are complete, accurate, and functional. The design of processes should include appropriate process steps applied in the correct sequences. All required materials and substances should be certified or tested for quality prior to use.

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   Create a product prototype which can be used for testing (more than one prototype can be used if testing will result in product destruction or if different environmental tests may result in significant product changes). Testing procedures should include consideration of functions that correlate directly to product use. Test the product as it will be used. To test the reliability of a process, rehearse the implementation of required procedures.

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   Pilot test product with potential customers and ask them complete a survey. If the product is computer software, beta testing provides an opportunity for users to identify programming bugs or software anomalies. Process testing by a core group of workers performing several process tests over time under a wide range of conditions can provide information regarding process reliability.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not release a product or process which has not been tested for reliability. An acceptable level of reliability needs to be determined before a product or process release.
• Continue to monitor the performance or a product or process after release.
• Perform periodic design and test reviews.
• Maintain a record of product/process performance and failure.
• Perform periodic reliability reviews or products and processes.