Reliability is a measure of how long something will keep working for. It is invariably statistical in nature and thus the measures of reliability are statistical measures. The definition for reliability becomes more complex for a system, for which there is not a single definition of failure.
Introduction
Single Value Reliability
System Reliability
The Causes of Reliability Failures
Root causes of material/component failures
Design For Reliability
Designing against a Requirement for Useful Life
Trade-Offs involving Reliability
The Reliability Block Diagram (RBD)
Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
Making Reliability Estimates/Predictions
Parts Count Method of Reliability Estimation
Reliability Engineering
Apportioning Reliability
Assessing Failure/Reliability for systems/equipments in-service
Checklist of less obvious issues
RCM is an approach to identifying cost effective preventive maintenance, both through providing techniques for identifying preventive maintenance schedules and for helping identify areas where the design might be improved so that preventive maintenance might be more effective.
A requirement is a statement, or rather a group of statements in the form of a requirements specification, about what somebody wants.
Generally a statement of requirement is intended to be the basis of some form of formal or informal arrangement between those wanting something and those providing it. Whether or not what is wanted is what is produced is often critically dependent upon how well the requirement itself is specified. It is common for inadequate attention to be given to the form and details of the requirements, and whilst this does not prevent rapid progress being made, it invariably leads to difficulties when the time comes to hand over what is produced.This chapter is primarily focussed upon the requirements for a system. However the guidance about the characteristics of good requirement statements, and some of the other more general guidance, applies to anywhere requirement statements are used.
Introduction
The Requirements Hierarchy
Requirement Specifications, System Specifications, and Sub-system/Equipment
Specifications
Characteristics of a Requirement Specification
Requirements and Constraints/Functional and Non-Functional Requirements
Requirements Analysis (incl. Validation/Verification of Requirements)
A Structured Approach to Requirements Analysis
Formal Methods for requirement specification
Lack of Knowledge on Requirement
Maintenance of Requirement Specification
Implications of Requirement Change
Methods for Prioritising/Choosing between Requirements
Examples and Notes on the use of Vague Terms
Requirements Traceability
The future of requirement specifications/analysis
Areas of System Requirement
Requirement Statement/Specification Checklist
Potential Problem Areas
An organisational approach to requirements
R&D is a process of investigation intended to lead ultimately to new products, new components of products, or new processes. R&D is differentiated from design activities in that there is no clear precedent for the activities, ie. the activities have not been undertaken before. R&D activities are also characterised by the fact that there is no certainty that they will be successful within a given budget or period of time. The time to complete R&D activities is often underestimated.
Whilst it may be tempting to say that R&D will be avoided altogether for system projects, operational requirements often require that systems be at the cutting edge of technology, and thus R&D activities are required. However such should be undertaken as part of the early phases of the project and prior to the main system design activities.
Resources are things used in producing something else. They might ultimately become part of the thing being produced, or they may just be used during the process of producing it. Understanding how best to use different types of resource is essential to undertaking projects in a cost-effective manner and to producing cost-effective products.
Introduction
Examples of Resources
Limited Resource and its OPPORTUNITY COST
Unlimited Resource and its affect on Limited Resource
Using Resources to improve other Resources
Resource Management
Checklist for Resource Allocation
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Reviews are a means of independently checking an activity. They are an inherent and important part of the engineering and management process. They are often carried out as a final check on an activity and may be part of formally approving the outputs of the activity.
Reviews may be internal only or may have customers present. Depending upon the type of review the customer may have a critical part to play or may simply be an observer.
Introduction
Potential reasons for conducting reviews and additional benefits
Types of Reviews
Effective Reviews and Review Activity Checklist
Start-up Review
Wash-Up Review
Risk is concerned with the possibility that events may happen which spoil our well laid plans. Ie. Risk is about probabilities of events occuring and their impact should they occur. Although in principle the impact could be either desirable or undesirable, the term Risk is almost exclusively used to refer to undesirable impact.
Understanding the basic concepts of Risk is essential to both systems engineering and project management.
Introduction
Examples of everyday usage of the term Risk
Risk Identification
Risk Analysis
Risk Reduction Planning
Risk Monitoring and Action
Risk Reporting/Documentation
Risk Management Plan
Some Practical Issues associated with Risk Management
Large Project Risks
Top Ten Checklist of Risk Items and associated Risk
Management Techniques
Checklist of Risk Questions
Risk Concepts
Generic Categories of Risk and Questions to support Risk Identification
Project Characteristics giving Rise to Risk
Viewpoints on Risk
Internal and External Risks
Scale for Risk Scoring
Example of Guidelines for Risk Occurance Scoring
Example of Guidelines for Risk Consequence Scoring
Schedule Risk Values - Illustration
Single Value Quantification Risk Tools/Models
Multi-Factor Quantification
Risk Exposure Presentation
Risk Reduction Techniques
Sampling Risks
Risk Identification/Assessment Form