Redundancy vs System Complexity
Justify each redundant layer through quantified reliability targets and independent protection layer analysis rather than adding duplication by default.
CyberTRIZ analysis · Seveso contradiction PS020 · one of 8,235 worked contradictions published by CyberTRIZ.AI
Regulations
Business Context
Redundant equipment and protective systems improve operational
resilience by reducing the consequences of individual failures. However,
additional redundancy also increases engineering complexity, maintenance
effort, and lifecycle management requirements.
The Contradiction
More redundancy improves reliability.
More redundancy increases system complexity.
Why It Exists
Organizations frequently add duplicate systems without simplifying
existing architectures, increasing the number of assets requiring
maintenance and verification.
Direction
Design resilient architectures through independent protection layers,
modular engineering, and simplified system integration rather than
duplication alone.