The forums, chats, tweets (#bluelightofdeath), blogs, and main stream media (CNN & Vancouver Sun) are looking closely at the launch of Sony’s Playstation. There are reports of dead on arrival and ‘blue light of death’ failures. One business blog discusses the need to understand and match customer expectations as a way to avoid the bad press. I find the expectation is pretty simple.

1. fmsreliability.com http://www.fmsreliability.com/education/just-work/
Fred
It should just work
The forums, chats, tweets (#bluelightofdeath), blogs, and main stream media (CNN &
Vancouver Sun) are looking closely at the launch of Sony’s Playstation. There are
reports of dead on arrival and ‘blue light of death’ failures. One business blog discusses
the need to understand and match customer expectations as a way to avoid the bad
press. I find the expectation is pretty simple.
It should just work.
A brand new device, in this case an expensive new game console, the entire experience
of the purchase, transport, unpacking, hookup and first turn on should be a joy. The
anticipation for those picking up the device on the first day comes crashing down to
despair when the device fails to work. Products are expected to provide value, and you
expect the device in front of you to work as expected. It’s simple. I once explained to my
son that not all units from production will work (he was in junior high school). He said he
understood and that it is fine, if the game console he buys just works. Ship the ones that
don’t work to someone else.
Statistics
Sony is saying their is a 0.4% initial failure rate for the 1 million units shipped. This achievement could be the envy of
any major product launch. The connected and verbal customers though, and in particular the few with the ‘blue light
of death’ issue, do not care about the low overall failure rate. For them the failure rate is 100%. Remember there is a
person behind every failure. There is an individual story of anticipation and disappointment. There is the non-
economic pain associated with the loss of value. There is no joy. Sure the numbers are a means for us to understand
the magnitude and rate of field issues. These charts and graphs shield us from the look on someone’s face as the
screen stays dark.
Next Steps
The work of product design with input from reliability professionals can further reduce product failure rates. All the
basics on risk identification, fault discovery, and understanding the customer’s environment sharpen the ability of the
design engineer to make a reliable product. It is the point of decision that matters. It is the selection of a component,
a circuit approach, a supplier that creates the ability of a product to withstand stresses and work as expected. Focus
on how you make decisions. Focus on including the ramifications of each decision on reliability.Focus on your
customer and their expectations.
Would you be happy with a 0.4% launch failure rate? Would you be happy with the adverse media attention?