WHAT IS RELIABILITY?

Quality Glossary Definition: Reliability

Reliability is defined as the probability that a product, system, or service will perform its intended
function adequately for a specified period of time, or will operate in a defined environment without
failure.

The most important components of this definition must be clearly understood to fully know how
reliability in a product or service is established:

• Probability: the likelihood of mission success

• Intended function: for example, to light, cut, rotate, or heat
• Satisfactory: perform according to a specification, with an acceptable degree of compliance
• Specific period of time: minutes, days, months, or number of cycles
• Specified conditions: for example, temperature, speed, or pressure

Stated another way, reliability can be seen as:

• Probability of success
• Durability
• Dependability
• Quality over time
• Availability to perform a function

Components of Reliability

Common examples of product reliability statements or guarantees include:

• "This car is under warranty for 40,000 miles or 3 years, whichever comes first."
• "This mower has a lifetime guarantee."
QUALITY VS. RELIABILITY
Reliability has sometimes been classified as "how quality changes over time." The difference
between quality and reliability is that quality shows how well an object performs its proper function,
while reliability shows how well this object maintains its original level of quality over time, through
various conditions.

For example, a quality vehicle that is safe, fuel efficient, and easy to operate may be considered high
quality. If this car continues to meet this criterion for several years, and performs well and remains
safe even when driven in inclement weather, it may be considered reliable.

Asking a few key questions can help one determine the difference between both quality and
reliability:

• Quality = Does the object perform its intended function? If so, how well does it perform its
intended function?
• Reliability = To what level has said object maintained this level of quality over time?

RELIABILITY RESOURCES
You can also search articles, case studies, and publications for reliability resources.

Books
Practical Reliability Engineering

The Certified Reliability Engineer Handbook

Practical Engineering, Process, And Reliability Statistics