SOR 1205 Choosing the Right Reliability Metrics — Part 2

What does reliability mean when the customer thinks your product has failed even though it still technically works? And how should engineers measure reliability when failures involve software defects or patient safety rather than conventional hardware wear-out? Chris and Enrico continue their examination of reliability metrics by looking at customer ratings, brand reputation, medical devices, and software. They discuss why customer expectations matter, why medical reliability and safety overlap, and why software cannot simply be forced into traditional hardware reliability models. The discussion also highlights a growing systems-engineering problem: reliable products increasingly depend on hardware and software teams working together from the beginning.