New IEC 62741 – Dependability

There’s a new IEC 62741 available, “Demonstration of dependability requirements – The dependability case.”  It’s been released to support the IEC 60300-1 dependability standard and is available now from Document Center Inc.   It is part of IEC’s Technical Committee 56’s program of dependability and risk assessment standards.  It provides you with guidance to show how your system meets predetermined dependability requirements.  It’s an evidence based process used to confirm that your dependability plans are meeting the goals.

Dependability cases are best used at the inception of a project, but can be implemented anywhere in the lifecycle.  It is highly dependent on having a clear definition of the level of dependability that the customer of the product or system expects.  This activity is part of the IEC 60300 series on dependability managed by TC56.  And it is closely related to various risk assessment requirements as well.

What is the dependability case?  It is a process of reviewing the dependability requirements of a system and obtaining evidence of how the system meets those requirements.  It is often considered to be most successful if initiated at the concept stage, with revision occurring as the project moves forward.  Many times various reports are generated at predetermined milestones.  And it may continue to be used all the way through product or system retirement.

What is the difference between a dependability plan and a dependability case?  A dependability plan provides you with a roadmap for the activities, techniques and resources you’ll need to achieve your goal.  The dependability case provides continuing assurance that the requirements of the plan are being met, using concrete evidence that demonstrates that the plan is meeting those targets.  In other words, the plan shows how risks are going to be managed, the case proves that the plan has done it’s job.

What exactly does the IEC 62741 cover?  After the usual scope, referenced documents and definitions sections, the standard first provides you with background information.  Then Clause 5 addresses the principles involved while Clause 6 covers the development of the dependability case itself.  Finally, Clause 7 provides you with guidance on determining the adequacy of the evidence you’re using.

Three Annexes will be useful to you.  Annex A gives you an overview of the evidence framework you’ll use.  Annex B covers the general requirements of you dependability case report itself.  And Annex C is a checklist of points for assessing the evidence to confirm that it meets your needs.  A one-page Bibliography completes the document.

Now to get a copy.  You can order online at the Document Center webstore, www.document-center.com.  Or contact our staff by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  We’re an authorized distributor of the IEC publications, so you will know that your copies of any standards purchased from us are valid and up-to-date, with free update notifications included.  And we have a wide range of services to make compliance easier.  Make Document Center your Standards Experts!

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Claudia Bach

Claudia Bach is the President of Document Center Inc. and a world-wide recognized expert on Standards and Standards Distribution. You can connect with her on Google+

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