⚖️ Reliability, Cost, and Value

Everything has a cost and value to the customer. How much value does the customer put on 99.999% reliability vs the value of other features they need? If one system out of a thousand fails every 3 years (0.033% failure rate per year), what does that cost compared to a set of features that allows the customer to reduce operating costs 10%, or improve their general yearly reliability by 1%?

Certainly, safety-critical systems where human lives are involved are impossible to quantify with simple equations. But when considering operational equipment involving machines, understanding the real concerns of the customer and delivering the most value becomes paramount. Reliability/security/performance/whatever is just one factor in that equation, especially when it costs them other things they need.