The design of a field failure data feedback system

Abstract

This dissertation describes the design of a field. lf a i l u r e d a t a f e e d b a c k s y s t e m . Such a system i s v a l u a b l e i n o r g a n i s a t i o n s who f i n d i t d i f < i c u . t to m o n i t o r t h e q u a l i t y and r e l i a b i l i t y o f t h e i r p r o d u c t once t h e s e have been d i s t r i b u t e d t o t h e u s e r . Bv d e t e r m i n i n g t h e i r e c i s e r e q u i r e m e n t s and c o n s t r a i n t s '.he n a t u r e o f t h e p r o b l e m was d e f i n e d as w e l l as t h e o b j e c t i v e o f t h e s y s t e m . The w r i t e r d e v e l o p e d t h r e e p o s s i b l e s o l u t i o n s . These s o l u t i o n s a r e p r e s e n t e d by d e f i n i n g a l l s u b - s y s t e m s , t h e i n p u t s i n t o eacn s u b - s y s t e m , t h e o u t p u t out o f each s u b - s y s t e m and t h e f u n c t i o n w i t h i n each s u b - s y s t e m . A s y r t e m was s e l e c t e d by w e i g h i n g t h e a d v a n t a g e s and d i s a d v a n t a g e s o f d a t a c o l l e c t i o n , h a r d w a r e i n v o l v e d , d a t a v a l i d i t y , syst em s i z e , c o m m u n i c a t i o n f a c t o r s , human e l e m e n t s , s a m p l i n g m e t h o d s , c o s t s i n v o l v e d and t h e s y s t ems e f f e c t on t h e w i d e r s y s t e m . T h i s syst em was t h e n d e v e l o p e d in d e t a i l c o n s i d e r i n g c o m m u n i c a t i o n t e c h n i q u e s , d a t a a n a l y s i s t e c h n i q u e s e t c . The d i s s e r t a t i o n i n c l u d e s a sampl e o f a r e p o r t g e n e r a t e d b\ t h e use o f r e a l i s t i c dummy d a t a .