> (I'm choosing to ignore the fact that many companies in the computer > industry as a whole don't bother testing their products for > reliablility). > > Alex Pavloff Interesting comment. I have just been assigned to do Potential Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) of our MES. (Which includes the ERP/MES, MES/HMI, and HMI/PLC interfaces). The Industrial engineers know exactly what I am talking about, since this is a common practice dating back to the 1960's. But I get blank stares from the IT folks. Most software engineers or IT people are not given any cross-disciplinary training in Industrial Engineering methods. - Bill Hullsiek Software Engineer

 

Dear List: at The Foxboro company, I was their last Reliability Engineer: they laid me off on October 13th 2000. The Dutch Engineer, who handled Foxboro reliability in Europe, was retired in April 2000. Back in the 1980s, some 6-7 engineers dealt with reliability issues. So, when it is said by people on this list, (snip) > > (I'm choosing to ignore the fact that many companies in the computer > > industry as a whole don't bother testing their products for > > reliability). there is a whole lot of truth in the allegation. I am presenting a paper at BOSCON in MARCH, 2001, which I have entitled, "Reliability, Quality's Orphan?" My central thesis is that there is less and less emphasis on reliability and more and more emphasis on the bottom line. Quality means "ship it while it is working" while reliability means steps to be certain it works ten years from now. sincerely, John Peter Rooney American Society for Quality, Certified Reliability Engineer #2425. ASQ Certified Software Quality Engineer, #1466. P. S. yes, I have done FMEAS, FMECAs and I used MILITARY STANDARD 1629A, which, as a Navy veteran, I am happy to remark that MIL-STD 1629A is a Navy standard (BuShips).