Domain-Independent versus Other Approaches for Reliability Improvement and Risk Reduction

This chapter presents a domain-independent approach to reliability improvement and risk reduction. One of the key principles of a domain-independent approach to reliability improvement is the recognition of commonality among reliability problems and their solutions across diverse fields of human activity. To facilitate this cross-domain application, the chapter proposes a general algorithm for enhancing reliability and reducing risk through universal methods applicable across diverse fields. Additionally, the chapter offers a classification of domain-independent reliability improvement methods, outlines the essential requirements for effective solutions, and explores strategies for overcoming mental inertia during reliability improvement. The chapter further examines why general methods for reliability improvement are absent in reliability literature and discusses both the data-driven and physics-of-failure approaches. It also introduces the TRIZ problem-solving framework, addressing its strengths and limitations in the context of reliability improvement and risk reduction.