Marketing with reliability and maintainability: the business case for hiring a reliability engineer when there are no R&M requirements

Even in the absence of customer imposed reliability requirements, market driven requirements can be established. The need to establish these requirements and demonstrate meeting them necessitates a professional reliability engineering function. Tying this function to the sales and marketing departments, while unorthodox, can provide access to information and straightforward communication channels to influence design. The business case is based on the increased sales due to a product that lives up to its marketing hype.