Introduction

Fereshteh Mafakheri
f.mafakheri@concordia.ca

A system is

A collection of different elements that work

together to produce a greater results than each
element could obtain

Example of a system is a company which is

made of these elements

People
Hardware
Software
Documents
Policies
Departments

Functional View

Input

Process

Output

Input: addition of material, energy, or information to a system

Process: Altering material, energy, or information

Output: movement of matter, energy, or information out of a

system

Systems Engineering is

The application of science, math, and

business to meet customer's needs
through the entire system lifecycle

Definition of Systems
Engineering
(NASA SE Handbook)
Systems Engineering is a robust
approach to the design, creation, and
operation of systems.

The function of systems engineering is to

guide the engineering of complex systems.
Guide to lead, manage, or direct, usually
based on the superior experience in pursuing
a given course
Engineering design, construction and
operation of efficient and economical
structures, equipment, and systems
Systems a set of interrelated components
working together toward some common
objective
Complex diverse elements with intricate
relationships with one another
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Systems Engineering
An interdisciplinary approach and means to enable
the realization of successful systems.
It focuses on holistically and concurrently
understanding

stakeholder needs;
exploring opportunities;
documenting requirements; and
synthesizing, verifying, validating, and
evolving solutions while considering the complete
problem, from system concept exploration through
system disposal.

An organized and systematic way of design.

Considers all the factors involved in the design
Integrates all the disciplines and specialty groups into a team
effort
Ensures the business and customer needs of all stakeholders
and ensures a system that meets the user needs

Requires investment of time and effort to

gain experience & an extensive broadening of
the engineering base as well as learning
communication and management skills
Educational experience in a traditional
engineering discipline is necessary
There are few tools & quantitative
relationships to help make decisions

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Math & Physical Sciences

Qualitative modeling
Quantitative modeling
Physical modeling
Theory of Constraints
Physical Laws
Management Sciences
Economics
Organizational Design
Business Decision Analysis
Operations Research
Social Sciences

Multi-disciplinary Teamwork
Organizational Behavior
Leadership

Body of Knowledge
Problem definition

System boundaries
Objectives hierarchy
Concept of operations
Originating requirements

Concurrent engineering

System life cycle phases

Integration/Qualification

Architectures

Functional/Logical
Physical/Operational
Interface

Trades

Concept-level
Risk management
Key performance
parameters

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In 1990 a professional society for systems

engineering, the National Council on Systems
Engineering (NCOSE), was founded by
representatives from a number of US
corporations and organizations
INCOSE: International COSE

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Any engineer acts as a systems engineer when

responsible for the design and implementation
of a total system.
The difference with traditional engineering lies
primarily in the greater emphasis on defining
goals, the creative generation of alternative
designs, the evaluation of alternative designs,
and the coordination and control of the diverse
tasks that are necessary to create a complex
system.
The role of Systems Engineer is one of the
Manager s that utilizes a structured value
delivery process
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The major steps in the completion of a typical systems

engineering project are the following: (1) problem statement; (2)
identification of objectives; (3) generation of alternatives; (4)
analysis of these alternatives; (5) selection of one of them; (6)
creation of the system, and, finally, (7) operation.
Some examples of Systems Engineering Process activities are:
Defining needs, operational concept, and requirements
Functional analysis, decomposition, and allocation
System modeling, systems analysis, and tradeoff studies
Requirements allocation, traceability, and control
Prototyping, Integration, and Verification
System Engineering Product and Process control
Configuration and Data Management
Risk Management approaches
Engineering technical reviews and their purposes

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Reasons for systems projects

Improved service
Better performance
More information
Stronger controls
Reduced cost

Internal Factors
Strategic plan
Top managers
User requests
Information technology
department
Existing systems

External Factors

Technology
Supplier
Customers
Technology
Competitors
The economy
Government

Operational Feasibility
Technical Feasibility
Economic Feasibility
Schedule Feasibility

Operational Feasibility means that a

proposed system will be used effectively
after it has been developed.
Does management or do users support the
projects? Do users see the need for change?
Will the system result in a work force reduction?
Will the system require training for users?
Will customers experience adverse effect in
anyway, either temporarily or permanently.

The technical resources needed to develop,

purchase, install, or operate the system.
Does the company have the necessary hardware,
software, and network resources?
Does the company have the needed technical
expertise?
Will the hardware and software environment be
reliable?
Will the system be able to handle future
transaction volume and company growth?

Economic Feasibility means that the projected

benefits of the proposed system outweigh the
estimated costs usually considered the total cost of
ownership (TCO).

People, including IT staff and users

Hardware and equipment
Software
Formal and informal training
Licenses and fees
Consulting expenses
Facility costs
The estimated cost of not developing the system or
postponing the project

Schedule Feasibility means that a project can

be implemented in an acceptable time.
Can the company or the IT team control the factor
that effect schedule feasibility?
What condition must be satisfied during the
development of the system?
Will an accelerated schedule pose any risk?
Will the project manager be appointed?

Identify and weed out the systems request

that are not feasible.
Even if the request is feasible, it might not be
necessary.
Feasibility analysis is an ongoing task that
must be performed throughout the systems
development process.

Step 1: Understand the problem or opportunity

Step 2: Define the project scope and constraint

Step 3: Perform fact-finding

Step 4: Evaluate feasibility

Step 5: Estimate project development time and cost

Step 6: Present results and recommendation to

management

Analyze the problem encountered

Define the need for the new system
Identify information systems involved
Initiate the project

Project scope: boundaries or extent of the

project.
A constraint: a requirement or condition that
the system must satisfy or the outcome that
the system must achieve.

Conduct interview
Review documentation
Observe operation
Conduct a user survey

Evaluate the projects operational, technical,

economic, and schedule feasibility.

Estimate the project time and develop the

time schedule
Estimate the project cost based on TCO

Introduction
Systems request summary
Findings
Recommendation
Time and cost estimates
Expected benefits

Introduction to complex systems

Systems Engineering: Principles and Practice,

2nd edition, 2011. A. Kossiakoff et al., Wiley.
Chapter 1 & 2