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Test bogeys are valuable tools in providing guidance in design iterations as well as serving as gatekeepers in laboratory endurance tests for product certification. In addition, test bogeys have been used to screen manufacturing process-induced performance variations. Typically, the endurance test specification consists of descriptions of parts to be included in a test setup, the minimum number of test samples of the target component, the load, and the number of cycles, block cycle repeats, or test time to exceed without failure. To define these test bogeys, however, is a special challenge for heavy and medium duty vehicle applications. Oftentimes, neither a representative field duty nor a well-developed proving ground test cycle is available. Furthermore, there are numerous vehicle configurations and broad variations of application. A test bogey that is adequate for one case might not be suitable for a seemingly similar case.

It is well known that up-front FEA (finite element analysis) in product development will significantly reduce cycle time and improve product quality. The merit of using FEA in product design is evidenced by the mandate of its practice in the auto industry's QS9000 quality standard. Today, the usefulness of FEA in engineering product design is no longer an issue. Rather, the availability and cost for its extensive usage for product development is of concern. This is because until recently most FEA needed to be conducted by highly trained specialist. Recently, an alternative FEA implementation became feasible owing to the emergence of commercial software which takes advantage of several technological improvements such as P-element formulation and automatic mesh generation. As a result, some FEA jobs can now be conducted by less specialized engineers, offering the potential for fresh opportunities and challenges.