Space Payload & Avionics Manufacturing worked example

Packaging Risk with packaging failure severity of 15 score: a worked example

Push packaging failure severity up to 15 score and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. Use it when packaging risk in space payload and avionics manufacturing needs a defensible ranking against other space payload and avionics manufacturing risks for the next review.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Packaging failure severity (damage or contamination): 15 score (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 6)
  • Packaging failure occurrence frequency: 4 score (unchanged)
  • Packaging failure detectability before ship: 3 score (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Packaging risk score = packaging risk severity score × packaging risk occurrence score × packaging risk detection score) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 8.15 score for packaging risk score, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 15 score for packaging risk severity score.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4 score for packaging risk occurrence score.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 3 score for packaging risk detection score.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where packaging failure severity sits at 6 score and the headline result is 4.55 score, this scenario comes in 79.12% above the baseline at 8.15 score.
  • It multiplies packaging severity, occurrence, and detection scores into a single Risk Priority Number ranking which packaging failure mode to address first. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Packaging risk score: 8.15 score (headline result)
  • Packaging risk severity score: 15 score
  • Packaging risk occurrence score: 4 score
  • Packaging risk detection score: 3 score

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Packaging Risk calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.