fehlerarme

Fehlerarme is a German term used to describe systems, processes, or components that exhibit a low rate of faults or errors. The word combines fehler (error) and arm (lacking) and is used descriptively rather than as a formal measurement. In practice, fehlerarme designs aim to minimize both the occurrence of errors and their consequences through robust design, verification, and quality assurance. The concept is applied across disciplines such as software engineering, electronics, manufacturing, and logistics, and is often contrasted with fehleranfällig, meaning prone to errors.

In software engineering, fehlerarme software incorporates defensive programming, input validation, automated testing, formal verification, and robust error handling to prevent incorrect behavior or to recover quickly from faults. In hardware and electronics, fault-tolerant architectures, redundancy (for example, duplication or triplication), error-correcting codes, scrubbing, and watchdog timers reduce the likelihood that a fault disrupts operation.

In manufacturing and service processes, fehlerarme production focuses on mistake-proofing (poka-yoke), standardized work, process control, Six Sigma practices, and root-cause analysis to lower defect rates and rework. The aim is to reduce the probability and impact of errors while balancing cost and complexity.

Common metrics related to fehlerarm concepts include defect rate, failure rate, defect density, mean time between failures (MTBF) and mean time to repair (MTTR). While no system can be completely error-free, fehlerarme approaches strive to bring risk to tolerable levels and improve overall reliability and quality.