The ASQ Certified Reliability Engineer Handbook, Fourth Edition

This updated handbook is ideal for working professionals who specialize in improving the reliability, maintainability, and safety of products, systems, and processes. Organized according to the 2025 ASQ Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) Body of Knowledge (BoK), the fourth edition of The ASQ Certified Reliability Engineer Handbook has been expanded to include new information, tools, and techniques. Inside, you’ll find a comprehensive view of the role of a reliability engineer, with a focus on the basics as well as the latest technology and applications used today. Revised sections are also designed to expand the knowledge base of current CREs, candidates preparing for the ASQ CRE certification exam, and engineering students.

The fourth edition of this handbook includes:

• A breakdown of new subtopics, including project management in reliability engineering, the quality triangle, risk assessment, and software/firmware reliability
• A thorough review of probability and statistics for reliability, including dozens of practical examples to illustrate key concepts
• Expanded discussions of reliability strategy, defect tracking, root cause analysis, lean and Six Sigma methodologies, reliability goals, confidence and tolerance intervals, capability indices, artificial intelligence, data integrity, testing, analysis of variance (ANOVA), reliability-centered maintenance, and more
• Updated appendices with new standard normal, Student’s t, F, and normal tolerance interval factor tables that include more values 

Dr. Karen Hulting, CRE, CQE, CSSBB, is a statistician in the medical device industry, providing leadership for the use of statistical tools in R&D, quality, reliability, and manufacturing with Medtronic for 28 years. She is also an adjunct instructor at St. Cloud State University in the Medical Technology Quality Graduate program. Hulting is a Fellow of ASQ, a member and past chair for several ASQ committees, and a member of the American Statistical Association.

Dr. Mary McShane-Vaughn, CRE, CQE, CSSBB, is principal at University Training Partners, a company that designs and delivers Six Sigma training. Previously, McShane-Vaughn was a tenured professor at Southern Polytechnic State University (now Kennesaw State), where she directed the MS in Quality Assurance program. McShane-Vaughn has published numerous Quality Press titles, is a senior member of ASQ, and is a member of the Institute of Industrial and System Engineers and the American Statistical Association.