Nancy and I share a passion for reliability.  We also share a passion for maximizing performance of individuals.  There is no way around the fact that how people operate effects how machines operate.

Jessica shares a personal story about the experience of receiving poor field service as a consumer.  Together we brainstorm on how the company could have improved the experience. 

In this episode I discuss the reliability anchoring methodology from the Reliability Culture tool kit.  The anchoring tool ensures we are tracking if changes to a planed test will effect ROI in a manner that justifies cancelling or postponing that test. 

In this episode my guest Dan Burrows, Director of Quality and Reliability at Solecta, discuss the difference between quality and reliability engineering.  It's not as easy as you would think, and there is surely more than one answer.

"The target area is only two meters wide. It's a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system."

Do you know what that quote is from?  If you do you are an awesome geek.  if you don't I still think you will enjoy this episode about how reliability engineers think a little different from design engineers.

My guest Carl Carlson and I discuss FMEA's and how they are best incorporated into product development programs.  Carl is a thought leader in FMEA and the author of "Effective FMEAs". He can be contacted at [email protected]

Design Failure Mode Effects Analysis (DFMEA) is one of the most important tools in a reliability program. If implemented correctly it will significantly improve efficiency in the design process.  Implemented incorrectly it can be a devastating detour in what could have been a great produce development program.  Let's talk about both.

How do we go from a prototype to robust design?  There are a few easy steps ranging from correctly assessing what drives robust performance to testing driven design change.

After reading a NASA guide on best practices for fastener retention (lock washers, nylock nuts, tapered threads, chemical bonding) I was surprised to find out that that the method used most in everyday life was effectively useless.  Got me thinking, what else do we do in product design as a "best practice" only because we've always done it that way?

What is the most effective and fastest reliability program? It is simply the golden trinity of HALT, ALT, and RG.  In thsi episode I dicsuss how to apply these tools with an extremely high ROI.