ABSTRACT

This chapter shows how reliability and maintainability data can be combined with performance data to assess overall product effectiveness of the product and how cost aspects can be introduced to provide a more complete basis for design decision. First,

the product effectiveness concept is reviewed. A generalized model for quantifying effectiveness is then developed by first considering single-mode products and then extending the model to multimode cases. This is followed by a general discussion of how product effectiveness is analyzed and the chapter concludes with a discussion of ways of introducing cost into the decision process.