“…For example, product performance is important, even after the warranty expires, because of its e ect on the manufacturer's reputation, product evaluation for future purchases by consumers, employee motivation, and quality improvement throughout the design, manufacturing, and administrative areas. Several papers have dealt with the quantiÿcation of warranties for basic accountability (Heck 1963, Fisk 1970, Brown 1974, marketing strategy (Dorfman and Steiner 1954, Udell and Anderson 1968, Glickman and Berger 1976, and the determination of reserve funds to cover expenditures for warranty claims (Lowerre 1968, Menke 1969, Amato and Anderson 1976. The rapidly developing and changing high technology throughout the 1970s further accelerated the need for research focus on even higher quality product development, which today further includes an emphasis on customer satisfaction.…”