This book integrates key tools and processes into a comprehensive program for developing more robust and reliable technology-based products. Drawing on their extensive product development experience, the authors present a complete process for ensuring product performance throughout the entire lifecycle, from understanding customers’ needs through manufacturing and post-launch support.



The authors begin by presenting broad insights and high-level strategies for improving product quality. Next, they demonstrate how to implement robustness and reliability strategies that complement existing governance and decision processes. A section on tools and methods shows how to institutionalize best practices and apply them consistently. Finally, they tie strategies, decisions, and methods together through a case study project.



Product developers will learn how to

* Understand critical drivers of value in technology products, including reliability and durability
* Implement a process model and roadmap for improving reliability and robustness
* Increase robustness early in development, leading to shorter cycle times in later phases
* Improve the stability of production performance under stress conditions
* Assess both organizational and process capabilities for delivering robust and reliable products
* Understand and manage customer-driven requirements
* Use tools including descriptive and inferential statistics and DOE-based empirical models

Managers will understand expectations for

* Design concepts supported by rigorous analyses of alternatives
* Products and processes delivering higher value to customers
* Products with higher reliability and longer useful lives
* Product processes with lower costs and higher capabilities
* Development projects having shorter, more predictable cycle times

Readers are introduced to many thought leaders whose writings can be sources of further learning. This book is a valuable resource for anyone responsible for delivering reliable, profitable technology products, including general managers, program managers, engineers, scientists, and reliability and quality professionals.