A technique is provided for designing and evaluating service models for components, functions, subsystems and field replaceable units in a complex machine system. At a component or item level, each model identifies various items, failure modes, and so forth which may be the root cause of anticipated serviceable events or faults. The design tools permit numerous interfaces to be used in the design of service models, and in the evaluation of the degree to which the models address detectability and isolation capabilities for the root causes of serviceable events and faults.