Lab Equipment & Scientific Instrument Manufacturing worked example

Configuration Option Complexity with severity of configuration error of 3 1-10: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop severity of configuration error to 3 1-10, then walk the calculation through step by step. Score the manufacturing risk associated with a specific instrument configuration or custom option combination. Uses a severity-occurrence-detection (SOD) framework to produce a risk priority number (RPN). Helps engineering and operations teams prioritize which custom configurations need additional validation, assembly instructions, or test protocols before committing to production.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Severity of configuration error: 3 1-10 (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 6)
  • Occurrence likelihood: 4 1-10 (held at the documented default)
  • Detection difficulty: 5 1-10 (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Risk Priority Number (RPN) = severity x occurrence x detection.
  • Risk Priority Number (RPN) works out to 3.85 score at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Configuration error severity works out to 3 score at these inputs.
  • Occurrence likelihood works out to 4 score at these inputs.
  • Detection difficulty works out to 5 score at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where severity of configuration error sits at 6 1-10 and the headline result is 5.05 score, this scenario comes in 23.76% below the baseline at 3.85 score.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to severity of configuration error, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. RPN is ordinal, not a true probability, and equal RPNs can hide very different severities; a high-severity, low-occurrence mode may need action even when its RPN looks moderate.

Results at a glance

  • Risk Priority Number (RPN): 3.85 score (headline result)
  • Configuration error severity: 3 score
  • Occurrence likelihood: 4 score
  • Detection difficulty: 5 score

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Configuration Option Complexity calculator, set severity of configuration error to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.