Out of Box Failure
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The term Out of Box Failure usually refers to computer hardware. It describes a negative experience a user has when installing and/or performing initial configuration on a piece of hardware that exhibits an immediate failure mode.
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[edit] Definitions
Out Of Box Failure is a take on a common quality analysis term Out Of Box Experience, used in the electronics and personal computer industries. It refers to a system that has a major defect preventing (or severely restricting) use that is immediately apparent upon opening the box of a new unit or first turning the unit on. The short form of OOBF is a typical abbreviation. Some companies also use OBF; another synonym, also used in numerous unrelated contexts, is DOA–Dead on Arrival.
[edit] Causes
Out Of Box Failures are typically caused by the following issues:
- Faulty components that were used in the product but not detected by quality assurance
- Storage induced failures, such as oxidation in high humidity environments
- Transportation induced failures, such as vibration induced looseness in connectors
- Configuration induced failures, for systems configured to customer specifications, but where the configuration of parts is incompatible
- Customer induced failures, from improper setup of the unit
[edit] Impact
Out Of Box Failures will significantly reduce customer perception of quality, and greatly escalate warranty costs.
[edit] Practical usage
Many warranty policies for computers or other electronic equipment have a specific Out Of Box Failure category to describe actions provided to customers in such cases. For example, from suppliers in various countries:
[edit] Historical Examples
In Germany, a now-defunct company named AEG, was jokingly referred to as "Ausgepackt, Eingeschaltet, Garantiefall" ("Unpack, Turn-On, Warrantycase") due to a high Out Of Box Failure rate.
