Track 3 Session 10
9:10 to 10:10 a.m. Thursday June 19, 2008

Managing Reliability Success with Vendors on Large Scale Projects

What Design for Reliability (DFR) practices, methods and contracts are needed by systems integrators or when multiple vendors and contractors are used to design and build parts of the whole? How do you ensure reliability growth of the whole when you have limited control over the reliability activity of the subs? In this session, we will present guidelines and experience from large programs, such as the Apollo program, the Space Shuttle, etc. and what we have learned from large multi-corporation defense projects. We will present contract content needed to achieve early system reliability commitment and contract content necessary to augment vendors design practices. In the case of the Apollo program, all contracts contained specific clauses relating to qualification tests. In commercial programs, not every contract requires DFMEA to be performed. Better methods are proposed to help decide which programs must and which should not have DFR, DFMEA, HALT, ALT, FRACAS or DVP&R required.

Key Words: System, Reliability, Vendor, Contractor, DVP&R, DFMEA, HALT, Contractor, System Integrator, Large Scale Projects