What exactly is rationalization anyway? Well, let's look up the definition...
From the Random House Unabridged Dictionary:

ra·tion·al·ize

• to ascribe (one's acts, opinions, etc.) to causes that superficially seem reasonable and valid but that actually are unrelated to the true, possibly unconscious and often less creditable or agreeable causes.
• to invent plausible explanations for acts, opinions, etc., that are actually based on other causes.

"So rationalization is making up excuses?"

That's not really the intent, but those definitions do have a resounding theme: Look for the real cause, not the superficial one, not the easy one. Don't waste time creating excuses for the way the alarms are. Address them from an end-to-end design perspective. Once the design is right, the alarms will be fixed. Once there's a system in place to manage that design, the alarms will never get out of control again.

"But you said the alarm system is never fixed!"

So to speak. We prefer to say alarm management is never finished. Good designs will incorporate periodic reviews as well as mechanisms for controlling change. Those are the ongoing activities of alarm management. It could be called alarm design management. Just like any other designed system, alarms should be subject to review and verification. With the right systems in place, alarms are simply absorbed into the standard process of design review.

Agree? Disagree? Let us know!

Chris Wilson
Marketing Manager
TiPS, Inc.
www.tipsweb.com