I have undertaken a few assignments, and have continued with other writing. Visit my updated books page.

I have been invited to join the External Advisory Board of the Centre for Telecommunications Value Chain Research, based in Eire and involving telecomms companies and Irish universities. www.ctvr.ie. I attended a meeting in Dublin.

The last year has been quiet for me on the reliability front, and I am now retired from all but the most interesting assignments. I have published the prequel to the Walter Minion saga (www.walterminion.com), and I am working on other non-engineering book projects.

In My Humble Opinion. A collection of my writings, published and not, over more than 30 years: editorials, book reviews, articles on quality, reliability, safety, management, education, stupidity, and other topics.

The New Management of Engineering is published. It is a revision and update of my book "The Practice of Engineering Management".

My new novel is published! Walter Minion's Therapy is the amazing story of what happens to an old reliability engineer who goes crazy!

The last 2 years have been rather quiet on the consulting and training front, ever since 11 September 2001. (I happened to be in Boston on the fateful day, running a Hobbs seminar). Work has picked up recently, with assignments in the last few months for companies in telecomms, computing and domestic equipment.

One assignment involved a "virtual presentation". Head for Courses to learn more.

Reliability and Test Engineering courses 2003

Hobbs Engineering will run "Test Engineering" in San Jose 7-8 April, and "Practical Reliability Engineering" in Boston 6-7 October. For details and to make reservations, contact Hobbs Engineering

My archive goes to Loughborough University

I have donated my archive of books, etc., to Loughborough University of Technology. John Andrews, who heads the reliability section, has accepted it as a contribution to the specialist library that is being created there. It was a sad moment for me, as many of the books are classics in quality and reliability engineering and management, and wider technology subjects, but I will not be using them as much in the future. However, I am very pleased that they will be available to others. For more information, contact John at j.d.andrews@lboro.ac.uk

Practical Reliability Engineering (Fourth Edition)

The fourth edition of Practical Reliability Engineering was published in April 2002. It is a major update and revision of the book, including engineering technology aspects and reliability methods. The practical aspects are further emphasised, with new material on test methods, data analysis, standards, management, etc. The student questions have been extended to cover the additions, and a new answers manual is also available. A homepage has been created for the book: visit Practical Reliability

Test Engineering Book is Published!

"Test Engineering" was published in April 2001 The book is linked to my homepage, where details of suppliers of test organisations, software, systems, equipment and services are provided.

Go to Test Engineering for details and to check the listings.

Test Engineering Courses

I have created a new course on Test Engineering. This was offered as a public course for the first time in Boston in September and San Jose in October, by Hobbs Engineering. It can also be presented in-house, tailored if desired. For details, click Test Engineering Course, and visit Hobbs Engineering.

New electronics/software safety standard ISO/IEC61508

ISO/IEC61508 ("Functional Safety of Electrical/electronic Programmable Electronic Safety-related Systems") has been published. All engineers and managers involved with safety-related systems should be aware of it. However, it contains features that could have effects that are counter-productive and expensive. I have written to IEEE, IEE(UK) and SRS about this. Read my letter, published in the November issue of IEEE Spectrum (similar in the other journals): ISO/IEC61508. So far I have received several messages supporting my views.

Evidence to Inquiry on Ladbroke Grove Rail Crash

During November I gave evidence to the Commission of Inquiry into the rail crash that occurred at Ladbroke Grove, outside Paddington Station. Part 2 of the inquiry is concerned with the wider aspects of railway safety management. I have been advising on risk analysis methods and on safety management, particularly the "Railway Safety Case" approach. I have submitted some of my published papers. The Inquiry report Part 2 should be published in mid-2001: it will be interesting to see if it recommends a return to common-sense management of safety.

New Paper on the Future of Reliability Engineering

In response to an invitation from the editors of the IEEE Transactions on Reliability, I have written a paper entitled "Reliability: Past, Present and Future" for the special Millennium edition. It will be published in the December issue.