Systems

Engineering
Lecture I & II

What is Systems Engineering?

The func.on of system engineering is to guide the engineering
of complex systems.
System: A set of interrelated elements that interact with one
another in an organized fashion toward a common aim. These
elements include products, process, people, informa.on,
techniques, facili.es, services, and other support elements.
Guide: To lead, manage or direct, usually based on superior
experience in pursuing a given course to show the way.
Engineering: The applica.on of scien.c principles to prac.cal
ends; as the design, construc.on and opera.on of ecient
and economical structures, equipment and systems.

What is Systems Engineering?

The func.on of system engineering is to guide the engineering
of complex systems.
Complex: Restricts the deni.on to systems in which
elements are diverse and have complicated rela.onship with
one another.
A complex engineered systems is composed of a mul.plicity
of complexly interrelated diverse elements. Requires systems
engineering to lead its development.

What is Systems Engineering?

System Engineering: is the deni.on, design, development
and maintenance of func.onal, reliable, and trustworthy
systems within cost and .me constraints.
System engineering is an integral part of project management
that plans and guides the engineering eort
the part that is concerned with the engineering eort itself,
seMng its objec.ves, guiding its execu.on, evalua.ng the results,
and prescribing necessary correc.ve ac.ons to keep it on course

What are the engineering

design process?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Dene problem
Analyze the problem
Generate alterna.ves
Evaluate the alterna.ves
Select the preferred design
Implement and design

What are the approach

fundamental steps?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Problem deni.on
System Iden.ca.on
Model formula.on
Solu.on procedure
Solu.on valida.on
Implementa.on

System Engineering (SE)

Du.es (Responsibili.es): SE is management technology to
assist clients through the formula.on, analysis, and
interpreta.on of the impacts of proposed policies, controls, or
complete systems upon the need perspec.ves, ins.tu.on
perspec.ves, and value perspec.ves of stakeholders to issue
under considera.on.
Func.on: SE is an appropriate combina.on of the methods
and tools of systems engineering, made possible through use
of a suitable methodology and systems management
procedures, in a useful process-oriented seMng that is
appropriate for the resolu.on of real-world problems, o\en
of large scale and scope.

System Engineering (SE)

Purpose: The purpose of SE is informa.on and knowledge
organiza.on that will assist clients who desire to dene,
develop, and deploy total systems to achieve a high standard
of overall quality, integrity, and integra.on as related to
performance, trustworthiness, reliability, availability and
maintainability of the resul.ng system.


Deploy = Making something with useful and eec9ve ac9on
Trustworthy= Reliable and safe

What is SE?
Systems Engineering is an interdisciplinary approach and
means to enable the realiza.on of successful systems.
It focuses on dening customer needs and required
func.onality early in the development cycle, documen.ng
requirements, then proceeding with design synthesis and
system valida.on while considering the complete problem:

Opera.ons
Performance
Test
Manufacturing
Cost & Schedule
Training & Support
Disposal (def: the ac9on or process of geAng rid of something)

What is SE?
SE integrates other disciplines and specialty groups into a
team eort, forming a structured development process that
proceeds from concept to produc.on to opera.on and
disposal. SE considers both the business and the technical
needs of all customers, with the goal of providing a quality
product that meets the user needs.

SE Vs. Traditional Engineering

Disciplines
SE diers from mechanical, electrical, aerospace, petroleum,
mining and other engineering disciplines in several important
ways.
1. SE is focused on the system as a whole it emphasizes its
total opera9on:
Looks at the system from the outside as well as the inside
Interac9ons with other systems and the environment
Concerned with not only engineering design but also external
factors

SE Vs. Traditional Engineering

Disciplines
2. Even though the primary purpose of SE is to guide, systems
engineers play a key role in system design

3. SE bridges bridges the tradi9onal the engineering disciplines

engineering disciplines

SE Vs. Project Management

The engineering of a new complex system usually begins with
an exploratory stage in which a new system concept is
evolved to meet a recognized need or to exploit a
technological opportunity.
When the decision is made to engineer the new concept into
an opera.onal system, the resul.ng eort is inherently a
major enterprise, which typically requires many people, with
diverse skills, to devote years of eort to bring the system
from concept to opera.onal use.
exploit : make full use of and derive benet from
Enterprise: a project, especially a bold or complex one.

SE Vs. Project Management

The magnitude and complexity of the eort to engineer a new
system requires a dedicated team to lead and coordinate its
execu.on. Such an enterprise is called a project and is
directed by a project manager aided by a sta.
SE is an inherent part of project management
the part that is concerned with the engineering eort itself,
seMng its objec.ves, guiding its execu.on, evalua.ng the results,
and prescribing necessary correc.ve ac.ons to keep it on course.

Relationship between SE and

Project Management
There is a great deal of signicant overlap between the scope
of systems engineering and the scope of project management.
The systems engineer working on a project will plan, monitor,
confront risk, and deliver the technical aspects of the project,
while the project manager is concerned with the same kinds
of ac.vi.es for the overall project.

Confront: face up to and deal with (a problem or diculty).

Relationship between SE and

Project Management
Because of these shared concerns, at .mes there may be
confusion and tension between the roles of the project
manager and the systems engineer on a given project.
As shown in Figure, on some projects, there is no overlap in
responsibility.
On other projects, there may be shared responsibili.es for
planning and managing ac.vi.es.
In some cases, par.cularly for smaller projects, the project
manager may also be the lead technical member of the team
performing both roles of project manager and systems
engineer.

DeDining Roles and

Responsibilities
Regardless of how the roles are divided up on a given project,
the best way to reduce confusion is to explicitly describe the
roles and responsibili.es of the project manager and the
systems engineer, as well as other key team members.
The Project Management Plan (PMP) and the Systems
Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) are key documents
used to dene the processes and methodologies the project
will employ to build and deliver a product or service.

DeDining Roles and

Responsibilities
The PMP is the master planning document for the project. It
describes all ac.vi.es, including technical ac.vi.es, to be
integrated and controlled during the life of the program.
The SEMP is the master planning document for the systems
engineering technical elements. It denes SE processes and
methodologies used on the project and the rela.onship of SE
ac.vi.es to other project ac.vi.es.
Note: SEMP is subpart of PMP.

Origin of SE
No specic date can be associated with the origins of SE
SE principles have been prac.ced at some level since building
of the pyramids & probably before.
Recogni.on of SE as a dis.nct discipline is o\en associated
with the eects of WWII
Esp. 1950s & 1960s with the publica.on of textbooks on SE

Origin of SE
In general, SE as a discipline evolved as a result of rapid
growth of technology & its applica.on to military &
commercial opera.ons during the 2nd half of the 20th century

High performance aircra\

Military radar
German V1 & V2 missiles
Atomic bomb

These were complex systems that revolu.onized the

applica.on of energy, materials & info; required mul.ple
disciplines; posed developmental challenges; compressed
development .me schedules due to war.me impera.ves let
to SE to meet these challenges

Origin of SE
During the cold war of the 1950s 70s military requirements
con.nued to drive the growth of technology

Jet propulsion
Control systems
Materials
Solid-state electronics
Digital computer & associated so\ware
Replacement of human control to automa.on
Computer control increasing complexity of systems

Origin of SE
The rela.on of modern SE to its origins can be understood in
terms of three basic factors:
1. Advancing technology: provides opportuni.es for increasing
system capabili.es, but introduces development risks that
require SE
Risks
Growth of automa.on

2. Compe66on: require seeking superior & more advanced

system solu.ons thru the use of systems-level (trade-os)
3. Specializa6on: requires par..oning of the system into
building blocks that can be designed and built by specialists,
and strict management of their interfaces and interac.ons

Examples of systems requiring

SE
Non-Complex system:
The generic deni.on of a system a set of interrelated
components working together as an integrated whole to
achieve some common objec.ve ts most familiar appliances.
Washing machine Refrigerator Microwave oven
Dishwasher Vacuum cleaner Radio Television
However, these appliances involve only 1 or 2 disciplines, &
the design is based on well-established technology.
Thus they fail the criterion of being complex.

Examples of systems requiring

SE
Complex system:
Since the development of modern systems is strongly driven by
technology, we shall add one more characteris.c to a system
requiring SE, i.e. some of its key elements use advanced
technology.

Examples of systems requiring

SE
The characteris.cs of a system whose key development, test,
and applica.on require the prac.ce of SE are that the system:
1. Is an engineered product and hence sa.ses a specied
need
2. Consists of diverse components that have intricate
rela.onships with one another and hence is mul.disciplinary and rela.vely complex
3. Uses advanced technology in ways that are central to the
performance of its primary func.ons and hence involves
development risk and o\en rela.vely high cost

Examples of systems requiring

SE

Examples of systems requiring

SE