What do Reliability Engineers Do?

Abstract

Dianna and Fred discuss what do Reliability Engineers do?

Key Points

Join Dianna and Fred as they discuss what do Reliability Engineers do? An RE’s role extends far beyond just crunching numbers and running tests.

Topics include:

• How they act as crucial links between diverse teams
• Their ability to help teams shape decisions that profoundly affect product performance, customer satisfaction, and business outcomes.
• Bridging departmental silos, managing inherent conflicts, and advocating for the voice of the customer

They also talk about why interpersonal skills and the ability to influence are just as vital as technical expertise for a successful reliability engineering career, even if they aren’t taught in school.

Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches.

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Show Notes

In this episode of Speaking of Reliability, Fred Schenkelberg and Dianna Deeney dive into a question: “What does a reliability engineer do?”

They quickly establish that while data analysis, regression, and failure analysis are indeed tools they use, these activities do not fully define the job.

Fred and Dianna clarify that reliability engineers are fundamentally problem solvers and problem finders, often serving as bridges between different ideas and groups within an organization. They hold an important independent viewpoint and use their tools and data to influence decision-makers, impacting critical aspects like customer satisfaction, product pricing, field longevity, and safety.

They emphasize that reliability engineers possess a unique, overarching view of the product due to their extensive collaboration across various departments, including marketing, sales, design, manufacturing, and vendors.

This cross-functional engagement allows them to act as advocates for the customer, ensuring the product works reliably in its real-world environment.

A key challenge they highlight is the need to prioritize important, preventive work over merely reacting to urgent failures, setting up organizational “guard rails” to systematically prevent problems. They also frequently find themselves managing inter-departmental conflicts arising from differing constraints and perspectives, a role often requiring them to step in and facilitate solutions.

Ultimately, Fred and Dianna stress that while a strong technical foundation is essential, the ability to work with and influence people is a crucial, yet often untaught, skill for effective reliability engineering. This interpersonal aspect, combined with their expertise, makes reliability engineering a truly interesting and empowering position within any company.

The post SOR 1087 What do Reliability Engineers Do? appeared first on Accendo Reliability.