The study of reliability –both the reliability of the individual components and the resulting reliability of the interaction of individual components in what might best be called a system –can and should guide the design, manufacture, and operation of all products. The quality standards established for a product are the result of tradeoffs among considerations of design and use, cost, safety and various other factors. Reliability experts have empirically determined that the bathtub function can be mathematically represented by the exponential probability distribution. A component's reliability can be calculated once the parameters of the distribution have been identified. Reliability of certain components and products is important. Predicting the reliability of specific components can involve complicated mathematics, but use of predicted reliabilities can greatly enhance the quality of the product by helping to ensure that the product performs consistently in the manner expected.