Right by Design
A Novel Approach to Failure Mode Avoidance
Failure Mode Avoidance
The Context: The environment in which a product design team works is becoming increasingly challenging as product complexity increases dramatically with the push towards both zero emissions and autonomous control. In addition, companies continue to suffer financially because of product launch problems as well as significant after sales warranty and recalls.
What?: Failure Mode Avoidance is a strategic approach to product design in which potential failure modes are found and countermeasures applied during the design process.
Why? Identifying and fixing failure modes early in the design of a product significantly reduces the cost of failures which otherwise occur later in the design process, at product launch, or in customer use.
How?: The book Right by Design presents an approach to product design which utilises a series of strongly interrelated engineering tools and interpersonal skills that can be used across engineering disciplines to facilitate the design of reliable product.