as reliability professionals anymore? During a normal day we unconsciously tie our shoes, brush our teeth and drive to work, mostly by routine and without too much conscious thinking about the tasks. Occasionally we answer the phone and have to think a little about the conversation. Or we design an experiment for the next project, thinking we can save time by using the same test as last time. Then we slip comfortably into routine. Do we not think anymore?

1. fmsreliability.com http://www.fmsreliability.com/education/think/
Fred
Do we not think
as reliability professionals anymore?
During a normal day we unconsciously tie our shoes, brush our teeth and
drive to work, mostly by routine and without too much conscious thinking
about the tasks. Occasionally we answer the phone and have to think a
little about the conversation. Or we design an experiment for the next
project, thinking we can save time by using the same test as last time.
Then we slip comfortably into routine. Do we not think anymore?
Reliability engineering is thinking.
We have to fit the right tasks and tools to the specific and current situation. Materials, designs, processes, customer
environments and reliability expectations all change over time. We know more about failure modes and mechanisms
over time. Our experience continues to grow. As reliability engineers we consider the situation and recommend a
course of action based on our knowledge. We recommend studies or experiments, we advise on design practices and
process controls. We are knowledge workers. We are paid to think.
So, do some refuse to think? Slipping into routine, running the same studies and tests, preparing the same plans,
implementing the same techniques, is comfortable and saves time. And, generally doesn’t work very well. When we
step out of the role of a thinking reliability engineer, we pass opportunities without noticing. We move blindly to the
next task. We believe that having a lot of activity is doing our job. No. Doing our job is thinking and doing the right
activities.
The other day a friend told me about an online conversation where someone said, “MTBF and Reliability are not
related and should not be confused.” or something to that effect. My friend being aware of my campaign to eradicate
the use of MTBF thought this was a new and troubling argument to continue using MTBF. I agree. It is troubling. How
many of us, reliability professionals, have stopped thinking? How many do not take the time or exert the effort to learn
the basic concepts of reliability engineering? How many have been training and believe there is one set of tools to
apply with every project? How many are just moving through the day in a routine?
As you start your day, going through the routines that bring to your place of work, set a daily reminder to stop and
think. Why are you doing the specific tasks you are doing today? Do you know why something has to be done with a
specific technique? Ask ‘why’ all day along. Make yourself see the world around you and ask yourself, ‘Am I seeing
what I expect or not? Why?’. Each task should have a purpose and value.
Doing a component life study may have the purpose of finding failure modes and mechanisms. Does the work lead to
that goal? Are we using the right technique? Could be do this better? Are there better ways to get this done? If you’re
running a time terminated demonstration test and do not expect any failures, you might not be thinking. If you expect
to pass your HALT, you probably fell into a unconscious routine. If you use MTBF to estimate your maintenance
schedule, you certainly are not thinking.
Stop it – wake up, and think.
I really like reliability engineering and would say I’m a campion of the profession. It is because every day I have to
think. New designs, new materials, new components, new challenges, and every project is different with different
constraints and objectives. We are expected to learn something everyday. We get to work across the entire product

2. life-cycle and with nearly every function in the organization. We move from a vendor meeting exploring the process
stability of a painted finish to briefing the project team on the status of remaining reliability risks. We have the
opportunity to apply our skills, knowledge and thinking prowess everyday. It is up to use to do so.
So what do you think? (or do you?)