15 Ways to Improve Reliability and Dependability

Systems thinking is the foundation for improving reliability and dependability, leading to more effective facility and infrastructure performance.

Organizations can systematically enhance reliability and dependability by integrating key approaches into the development, deployment, and maintenance processes of their products and systems. Despite subtle differences in terminology, regular assessments and updates should be conducted to address emerging challenges and technological advancements. This article provides a brief description and demonstration of several key approaches for enhancing reliability and dependability.

Reliability and Dependability Are Often Used Interchangeably

When it comes to choosing the right word to describe a product or service, the terms "reliability" and "dependability" are often used interchangeably. However, there are subtle differences between the two that can impact how they are perceived in practice and by consumers.

A Simple Distinction

I distinguish reliability, availability, and dependability for many general audiences, as exemplified by my wife choosing me as her husband. As a spousal partner, she determined that I was reliable— that is, I had a high probability of meeting her desired functions over her lifetime of living in the southeastern United States as a middle-class family. However, if you asked her how available I am, she would probably say, "Somewhat limited. He seems to require a lot of downtime." Yet if you asked her if I were dependable, her answer would probably be, "Yes, he normally performs quite well when I need him to do so."

Reliability refers to the consistency of performance over time. A reliable product or service can be counted on to perform consistently and without fail. Dependability, on the other hand, refers to the trustworthiness of the product or service. A dependable product or service can be relied upon to perform as promised and meet the consumer's expectations.

While the two terms are similar, they are not interchangeable. When choosing which term to use, it is important to consider the specific context in which it will be used and the message that you want to convey to your audience.

Reliability Defined

Reliability refers to the consistency and accuracy of a system or process to perform its intended function under specific conditions. In other words, a reliable system is one that consistently delivers the expected results without failure or errors.

Reliability is the probability that an item will perform its intended function for a specified interval under stated conditions.

Reliability is often measured in terms of Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), which is the average time that a system can operate without experiencing failure. A system with a high MTBF is considered more reliable than one with a low MTBF.

Reliability is essential in many industries, including aviation, healthcare, and manufacturing, where system failures can have severe consequences.

Dependability Defined

Dependability refers to the ability of a system or process to perform its intended function under varying conditions, including adverse environments and unexpected events. A dependable system can adapt to changing circumstances and continue to deliver the expected results without compromising safety or quality.

Dependability is the probability that an item will meet its intended function during its mission.

Dependability is often measured in terms of Mean Time To Repair (MTTR), which is the average time it takes for a system to recover from a failure. A system with a low MTTR is considered more dependable than one with a high MTTR.

Dependability is crucial in various industries, including transportation, energy, and telecommunications, where system disruptions can have significant economic and social consequences.

In everyday conversations and professional settings alike, we often hear the words "dependable" and "reliable" used interchangeably. While these adjectives share similarities, implying stability and trustworthiness, they convey subtly distinct qualities when describing people, objects, or services. Understanding these nuances helps us appreciate the traits we value in others and strive for in ourselves.

Why Dependability Matters Most

15 Ways to Improve Reliability and Dependability

Improving reliability and dependability requires a comprehensive approach that addresses various factors throughout the system's lifecycle. Here are key approaches:

1. Robust Design: Start with a well-thought-out and robust design that considers reliability and dependability from the outset of development.

2. Quality Components: Use high-quality components and materials to ensure the reliability of individual parts, reducing the likelihood of premature failures.

3. Rigorous Testing: Implement thorough testing during the development phase to identify and rectify potential issues before the product or system is deployed.

4. Redundancy: Integrate redundancy where critical components have backups, thereby minimizing the impact of failures and enhancing both reliability and dependability.

5. Predictive Maintenance: Implement predictive maintenance practices that leverage data and analytics to anticipate and address potential issues before they lead to failures.

6. Continuous Monitoring: Utilize continuous monitoring and real-time feedback mechanisms to detect anomalies, allowing for prompt interventions and maintenance.

7. Safety Protocols: Implement robust safety protocols and mechanisms to enhance the system's dependability, ensuring it operates safely under various conditions.

8. Security Measures: Implement stringent security measures to protect against cyber threats, unauthorized access, and data breaches, enhancing dependability.

9. Resilience Planning: Develop resilience plans to ensure the system can recover quickly from disruptions, thereby enhancing its overall dependability.

10. User Training: Provide comprehensive user training and clear documentation to enhance user understanding and minimize errors that could affect reliability.

11. Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards to meet legal requirements and enhance the system's dependability.

12. Feedback Loops: Establish effective feedback loops from users and maintenance teams to identify and address issues promptly, contributing to ongoing improvements.

13. Adaptability: Design systems to be adaptable to changing conditions or requirements, enhancing both reliability and dependability over time.

14. Lifecycle Management: Implement effective lifecycle management practices, considering maintenance, upgrades, and eventual retirement or replacement to ensure continued reliability.

15. Culture of Dependability: Foster a culture within the organization that prioritizes and values dependability, instilling a mindset of continuous improvement and attention to detail.

Reliability and Dependability In Practice

In New Orleans, for example, critical aspects of regional system reliability and dependability are determining appropriate operating capacities for infrastructure constructed below sea level over more than 100 years. Typically straightforward engineering aspects, such as assigning individual pumping capacities, can be challenging. For scenario analysis, the pumping capacities were grouped into three areas: rated (which includes design or permitted), minimum, and sustainable operating capacities. The system was not particularly reliable or dependable under the “sustained operating capacities” scenario.

I worked intensively at Tampa Bay Water for over a decade, helping the agency launch its asset management program and integrate reliability, risk, and operational resilience. Their system defines what it means to be both complex (consisting of many parts) and complicated (difficult). The system underscores the dynamic nature of reliability (it goes on forever).

A Case Example from Tampa

The City of New Orleans and Tampa Bay Water highlight the differences between an old system and a relatively new one. Context matters in most things, and especially when evaluating reliability and dependability. Context also matters when selecting approaches to improve reliability and dependability.

Improving Reliability and Dependability

Organizations can systematically enhance reliability and dependability by integrating key approaches. Systems thinking is the foundation of effective facility and infrastructure performance. Properly evaluating reliability and dependability helps resolve issues related to risk, safety, quality, compliance, and human performance. Regular assessments and updates should be conducted to address emerging challenges and keep pace with technological advancements. Is your system reliable? Is it dependable?

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Many aspects of this article were taken from the Communicating to Decision Makers, 2^nd Edition.

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JD Solomon is the founder of JD Solomon, Inc., the creator of the FINESSE fishbone diagram®, and the co-creator of the SOAP criticality method^©. He is the author of Communicating Reliability, Risk & Resiliency to Decision Makers: How to Get Your Boss’s Boss to Understand and Facilitating with FINESSE: A Guide to Successful Business Solutions.

How to Master Trend Analysis and Preventive Maintenance Optimization

Trend Analysis and Preventive Maintenance (PM) optimization require starting simple and utilizing available resources.

Maintenance isn’t just about fixing things when they break. It's about using data to predict problems and improve performance before issues arise. That’s where trend analysis and preventive maintenance (PM) optimization come into play. At the same time, effective trend analysis is akin to a blissful state that most organizations never achieve. The key is to start simple and lean on your criticality analysis. Here's why.

What Is Trend Analysis?

Trend analysis is the process of collecting and studying data over time to see how things change. It helps you identify good and bad patterns and decide what to do next. When done right, they help reduce downtime, cut costs, and make your systems safer and more reliable.

In many ways, trend analysis is a simple concept. If a machine breaks down every three months, trend analysis may indicate that it consistently fails after 1,000 hours of use. That's a clue. You can use that info to schedule service before it breaks.

Trend analysis isn’t just for the maintenance team. Trend analysis is a valuable contribution that planners, reliability engineers, business analysts, and even database-savvy team members can make.

Start Simple and Be Practical

When starting with trend analysis, it’s tempting to go big. Software vendors will oversell their diagnostic tools. Reliability engineers may even oversell the number of analysts needed at the beginning of the effort.

The key is to start simple. Find one or two people on your current staff with good data analytics skills. Begin by examining easy-to-measure factors, such as cost per repair, work orders per month, or failures per asset. Pick failures or issues that really matter to frontline staff. You just need someone who can spot patterns, ask the right questions, and provide data that supports practical intuition.

Measures have unintended consequences, so be careful. For example, it’s common for me to find organizations that reward being under a lean maintenance budget, yet equipment performance is always lagging. Ensure that your goals align with your values.

Use Systems Thinking

The best insights often come from combining data across multiple systems, such as work orders, inventory, compliance, and customer service. That's where systems thinking and system integration help. A single trend in one system may not be significant, but trends across multiple systems often reveal the full story.

One practical example comes from Georgia. There, a client used three vendors to rebuild pumps. Overall, the infant mortality was low for all rebuilt pumps that were brought back into service. However, further examination revealed that more than 50% of the pumps that broke after being rebuilt came from a single vendor.

What Can Trend Analysis Improve?

Trend analysis isn’t just about stopping breakdowns. It can lead to a wide range of improvements, including:

• Better quality parts

• Stress reduction on equipment (de-rating)

• Acceptance testing

• Improved training and standard operating procedures (SOPs)

• User-friendly software interfaces

• Error detection and alarms

• Redundancy and backups

• Critical spare parts management

• Fast isolation and containment during failures

All of these reduce risk and save time and money.

Tips for PM Optimization

Preventive maintenance (PM) optimization is about doing the right work at the right time. Here are a few key tips from my experience:

1. Look for Gaps

Start by reviewing your current PM activities. Are some assets over-maintained? Are others neglected? Check documentation and performance data. Consider whether Predictive Maintenance (PdM) tools like vibration analysis or thermal imaging might help.

2. Focus on Critical Assets

You can’t afford downtime for your most important equipment. Invest in good practices like condition monitoring, failure analysis, and detailed PM plans.

The Solomon-Oldach Asset Prioritization (SOAP) method yields proven results and reduces costs by 70 percent compared to traditional approaches.

 

3. Consider Run-to-Failure for Low-Risk Assets

Not everything needs the same level of care. For less critical assets, it may make more sense to run them until they fail and then replace them. Run-to-failure is a cost-effective approach if the risk is low. Remember, it only makes sense if you are intentional in this approach.

4. Balance Budget and Risk

Optimization is about what you can afford with the resources you have. Ask: "How optimized can we afford to be?" The answer will help you strike a balance between cost, risk, and performance.

Successful Trend Analysis and PM Optimization

Trend analysis and PM optimization are not just buzzwords. They’re powerful tools to make your operation more efficient, reliable, and effective. Utilize the resources you have and prioritize the aspects that matter most to frontline staff. Whether you’re a planner, technician, or analyst, everyone can play a role in this effort. Start simple, but don't stop there.

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JD Solomon Inc. provides solutions for program development, asset management, and facilitation at the nexus of facilities, infrastructure, and the environment. Visit our Asset Management page for more information related to reliability, risk management, resilience, and other asset management services.

Why Disaster Recovery Lessons from Hurricane Helene Matter in Capital Project Development

Hurricane Helene's aftermath presents a clear case study of why capital projects can stall before money, permits, and regulatory clarity are aligned.

Hurricane Helene's wreckage in western North Carolina has exposed the friction points that arise whenever large-scale recovery moves from emergency response into sustained program development. Environmental permitting related to air, water, and solid waste is where policy, public health, and bureaucratic timing collide. Hurricane Helene's aftermath presents a clear case study of why recovery can stall before money, permits, and regulatory clarity are aligned. The project development and delivery lessons learned should not be forgotten.

Water: The 401 / 404 Dance

The Clean Water Act Section 404 (dredge-and-fill) is implemented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), while Section 401 gives states the authority to certify that federally permitted activities will comply with state water quality standards.

After Helene, the USACE issued "quick guidance" outlining exemptions and Nationwide Permits to expedite repairs. However, many restoration activities still require coordination with North Carolina’s 401 & Buffer Permitting Branch — a process that can be slow when hundreds of road, culvert, and stream repairs compete for attention.

The federal-state dance matters because USACE cannot lawfully finalize some 404 approvals without a 401 certification or an explicit waiver. Timelines stretch when state reviews are lengthened by public notice, threatened endangered-species reviews, or changed project designs.

A practical consequence is that local governments and contractors can be left holding partially completed work or using temporary fixes that later require retroactive permitting or costly rework. Retroactive permitting and rework inflate program costs and complicate fund eligibility.

Air: Debris Burning, Incinerators, and Monitoring Gaps

Air permitting becomes a flashpoint after wind and flood damage create mountains of vegetative and construction debris. North Carolina’s Division of Air Quality issued Helene-specific guidance allowing certain managed burning (including air-curtain incinerators under strict conditions) and encouraging chipping and landfilling to reduce smoke and fine-particle exposure.

Operational constraints, such as limited numbers of permitted incinerators, local opposition to open burning, and variable monitoring capacity for particulate matter, mean that debris disposal often requires local permits, temporary regulatory relief, and rapid coordination with state and EPA officials to avoid public health impacts.

The EPA and state guidance on disaster debris and post-storm burning has been relied upon. Still, patchwork implementation leaves air quality uneven across counties.

Solid Waste and Temporary Facilities

Landfills and temporary debris sites can be overwhelmed quickly. Solid waste permitting for temporary cells, hazardous material segregation, and leachate management requires fast authorizations. When solid waste permitting lags, local governments face issues such as illegal dumping, longer haul times, and increased costs.

Streamlining, such as pre-approved temporary site criteria or rapid environmental reviews, reduces program delays. Advance planning is required, and local and state agencies were not prepared for an environmental event like Hurricane Helene.

Why Disaster Status and Timelines Diverge Across Agencies

FEMA’s disaster declarations and cost-share policies operate under the Stafford Act and the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a “no-year” account managed specifically for presidentially declared disasters. FEMA also applies time-limited policy flexibility. For example, temporary 100% cost-share periods) that can expire after specific windows unless extended.

Other federal agencies (HUD, USDA, EPA) have different statutory authorities, funding sources, and eligibility triggers. That means these programs may phase their programs on different schedules or require different certifications to unlock funds. That mismatch means a jurisdiction can still be in an active FEMA recovery posture while encountering different timelines and paperwork for an EPA water permit or a HUD housing grant.

North Carolina’s practice of extending certain state disaster declarations is a pragmatic response. However, state recovery programs are typically expanded by an additional six months at a time. These six-month extensions are insufficient to accommodate permitting and design processes that typically take five years or more, and their unpredictability creates costly uncertainty for designers and owners.

The better solution is for disaster declarations to last as long as federal funding from agencies like FEMA is available. Fee waivers, expedited permitting, and temporary burning rules are more effective when viewed realistically in relation to how recovery projects are implemented and funded.

Lessons Learned One Year After Hurricane Helene

The Hurricane Helene recovery highlights that environmental permitting and federally provided funding must be treated as a core component of capital program development. Pre-agreed emergency permitting templates (401/404 coordination protocols, pre-approved temporary debris-site standards, and air-curtain incinerator deployment plans), paired with cross-agency funding timeline alignment, dramatically reduce waste, rework, and public-health risk. Helene's recovery highlights the cost of not having those systems in place. The recovery from the next major event can be greatly enhanced by the leverage created when state and federal partners align both rules and resources.

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JD Solomon Inc. provides solutions for program development, asset management, and facilitation at the nexus of facilities, infrastructure, and the environment. Visit our Program Development page for more information on business cases, third-party assessments, phasing projects, and related services.

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JD Solomon is the founder of JD Solomon, Inc., the creator of the FINESSE fishbone diagram®, and the co-creator of the SOAP criticality method^©. He is the author of Communicating Reliability, Risk & Resiliency to Decision Makers: How to Get Your Boss’s Boss to Understand and Facilitating with FINESSE: A Guide to Successful Business Solutions.