[BC] INVESTING IN RELIABILITY (was vert radiator)

[Mark Durenberger]

"Larry Albert" reported:
> Have heard managers make statements similar to: "sparing no expensive to 
> obtain the finest equipment available"
> When shown estimated costs their words and goals quickly change.

Yesterday I posted the response below to another reflector.  Comments would 
be appreciated:

Mark Durenberger
=================================
> To: Pubtech- Public Radio Tech Forum
YOU SAID:
>   I like to ask them, how badly do you want this system to be on at all 
> times?  If it HAS to be on, it HAS to be redundant.


If I may take a try at this...it's been a fair while since someone posited 
that "You Have To Speak Their Language If You Want To Communicate."  I'm not 
suggesting this is the way it should be, but often, Engineering support is 
seen as a COST; it's not usually a Profit Center.

So if the Mangler has any business sense, you can sometimes prevail by 
talking survivability...in ways that insurance folks and other stakeholders 
understand.  That is to say: Use the "Four 9's" concept.

1,  Explain that, given your particular situation (xmtr location, power gird 
reliability etc) and current investment in the plant, you can reasonably be 
expected to maintain, say 99.9 % on-air time (I'm using this number only as 
an example; it might be 98 % in your case).

2.  Convert your estimated percentage to "Time Off-Air" (per 
week/month/year).

3.  Then present an investment plan to carry you to 99.9 or 99.99 % 
reliability (converting to actual down-time).

4.  And go on to four, and even five "9"s.

The beauty of this approach is that in step 1 you get to use your 
considerable experience, tech-networking, gut-feel and hard numbers, to come 
up with the current estimated survivability.  And no one will be able to 
challenge that number, as conservative as you make it, because they're 
paying you to be the expert.

Secondly, you're now involving management in the trade-off between 
investment and reliability.

It'd be productive to hear from folks on the list who use this approach.

Happy Father's Day y'all!

Mark Durenberger