Reliability earns confidence when things go right. Dependability earns trust when things go wrong. In business, leadership, and life, we praise reliability—consistent performance and results. Reliability builds credibility. It’s measurable, predictable, repeatable. Dependability runs deeper. Dependability says, “You can trust me when it matters most.”   Reliability is a system trait; dependability is a human one. You can track reliability in a spreadsheet — uptime, cycle coun

Context matters in most things, and especially when evaluating reliability and dependability.

Reliability, dependability, and availability are key concepts in systems thinking and asset management. The distinctions around...