可靠度原是品質管制的一部分，近來則由於消費者意識高漲，市場導向的興起，便得產品性能好壞的判別基準，不僅僅只是在於物美價廉而已，對於產品的售後服務、品質保證、和使用壽命期間這些方面也要講求，尤其是在複雜和精密的產品，更為注重可靠度，也因此大大提高可靠度的地位及需要。 現我國正值生產型態的改變，工業升級的時期，而欲生產精密化、複雜化、高級化的產品，可靠度實為其中一個不可缺少的工具，盼能將可靠度之應用徹底投入我國的工業生產中，以收事半功倍之效果。

Reliability originally was a part of quality control. Recently reliability becomes a major role in industry because the consumers demand higher quality, the markets ask for more customer satisfaction, and the manufacturers want for the better product performance. All these needs are closely related with reliability. People no longer can be satisfied with lower cost for a reasonable quality, but an excellent quality with a reasonable price. Besides cost concern, the importance of reliability also has been extened to three aspects: 1) the product post-sale service 2) quality assurance, and also to 3) the long product life cycle. These aspects also have been emphasized much more particularly for complex and precise manufactured products, Along with the trend, reliability is getting much more attention and research efferts then before to perfect itself in many aspects.