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It is very expensive to achieve high unreliability. It is…

“It is very expensive to achieve high unreliability. It is not uncommon to increase the cost of an item by a factor of ten for each factor of ten degradation accomplished.” quote by Norman Ralph Augustine
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“It is very expensive to achieve high unreliability. It is not uncommon to increase the cost of an item by a factor of ten for each factor of ten degradation accomplished.”

Norman Ralph Augustine

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Increasing reliability dramatically raises cost; each tenfold reliability gain costs ten times more.

In simple terms: Higher reliability costs exponentially more.

Key Takeaway

Balance reliability with budget constraints.

Themes

engineering cost reliability trade‑offs

Mood

analytical pragmatic

Type

technical business

When to use this quote

  • product design
  • risk management
  • maintenance planning
  • budgeting

Key Concepts

systems engineering economics

Questions to Reflect On

  • Is the extra cost justified for your product?
  • What reliability level meets user expectations?
A Different Perspective

Sometimes lower reliability is acceptable if it enables innovation.

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