What kind of data do

you have?

Interval, Grouped,
Standard Data
Mixed or Competing Coarse, Non- Destructive
(You know Failure &
Failure Modes Destructive Inspection Data
Suspension times)
Inspection Data

A B C D
 A

Less than 21
No No A1
Standard Data (You failures
know Failures &
Suspension Data)

Yes

2P Weibull, X on Y
Beta Known? No Median Rank
Regression
Zero Failures? No One failure Only

Yes

Yes Yes

Weibayes MLE w/RBA

Weibayes Late Suspensions No Weibayes

Yes

Do models seem
No A2
reasonable?
Beta Known? No MLE

Yes

Yes
Use more
X on Y MRR &
conservative of the Check for Batch
Yes MLE w/RBA. No
E wo models: X on Y problem
Agree?
Weibayes MRR & MLE w/RBA

E
 2P Weibull X on Y, Use 2P Weibull, X on
Distribution Analysis
A1 Median Rank Acceptable Fit? Yes Y, Median Rank
using MLE
Regression Regression result

No

Yes
Distribution Analysis E Use more
RR & MLE
using Rank Yes conservable of RR &
Agree?
Regression MLE Results

No

Acceptable Fit
Cross Check w/ More than 100
for any Yes
MLE? failures?
distributions?

A2
No No No
Yes

Go to Step B and
Use Result from
look for Batch
Rank regression Use RR Result Use MLE Result
Mixture or
analysis
Competing Modes

Predict based on
Test/Calendar Time
or Age of units?

B E E E

Time
Age

Crow AMSAA Duane Kaplan Meier

 B

Does slope match

Try Competing Risk
Steep/Shallow/Steep
Yes Mixture w/RR or
OR Shallow/Steep/
MLE (6P)
Shallow?

Mixed or Competing
Failure Modes
No

Try Compound
Competing Risk
Can you Mixture Model (7P)
Go to A and perform
physically
Yes analysis on each
separate the
mode
models?

No Try Compound
Is 7P Weibull a
Yes Competing Risk
good fit?
Mixture Model (7P)

Is there a steep
Check for batch
then shallow Yes
problems
slope? No

No
Can you find Create model in
Yes
No another moel? Excel, MathCAD,etc

Is there a Try Batch, Mixture

shallow then Yes or Competing Risk
steep slope? Model (4P) No

No A2

Do you have Try Batch, Mixture

many right Yes or Competing Risk
suspensions? Model w/MLE (5P)
 C D

Interval, Grouped
Coarse or Non Destructive
Destructive Inspection Data
Inspection Data

Benign Failures Use fit to maximum

only found at point of group’s Probit
inspection data

Same #units
inspected &
Probit
same inspection
interval?

Same Inspection
Kaplan Meier
interval?

Interval MLE
 E

Is a specific Is your model Is your model Use bounds

Confidence
Yes method No Median Rank No MLE-RBA or No appropriate to your
bounds desired?
specified? Regression? MLE? special model

No Yes Yes Yes

END
Pivotal confidence Likelihood ratio
Use the specific
bounds are best confidence bounds
method
practice are best practice

Pivotal confidence Likelihood ratio

Is compute time Is compute time
bounds are best No No confidence bounds
excessive? excessive?
practice are best practice

Yes Yes

Use Fisher Matrix

Confidence bounds