Fundamentals of Systems Engineering (CE G515)

Nishant Roy, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
Purpose or Mission of System

What is purpose of having a system?

Why purpose definition is necessary?

Who defines the purpose?

1. Initiation of design process

2. Fitness of purpose and testing

procedures

Performance Criteria
Elements of a System

1. Major hardware and software products

2. Organization in which the system will be fielded

3. Personnel

4. Training required

5. Data, support and facilities

6. Operating Procedures

7. Organization policies
System of Interest and Operating Environment

System Boundary
Elements

SOI
Interconnection

System as a Product

1. Operational Product (End Product)

2. Enabling Products
Detailed Representation of a System
Examples of Civil Systems
Physical Goals and Performance
Example Operation
Structure Objectives Measures

Congestion level,
Pavement, road Mobility around
Highway System Vehicular Use Accident
signs an area
frequency

Safe and
Steel Truss of a Steel sections, economical
Support loads Deflection, shear
Bridge Connections support of dead
and live loads

Maximize
Wastewater Sedimentation, Volume treated
Waste treatment quantity of waste
Treatment Filtration per hour
treated

Safe support to
Foundation Footings Transfer loads Settlement
superstructure

Minimize
Critical Path Scheduling of Resource
- construction
Scheduling work utilization
delay
Phases of Development

1. Problem Identification, Needs Assessment,

Establishment of Goals
2. System Planning
3. System Design
4. System Construction
5. System Operation
6. System Monitoring and Inspection
7. System Preservation
8. End-of-life Phase
Goals and Objectives of Civil Engineering Systems

Need PI

Goals

Overall
Values Goals
Goals Objectives MOE
Goals and Objectives of Civil Engineering Systems
Goals and Objectives of Civil Engineering Systems
 System Life Cycle

A system has life

Number of phases and activities – System Life

Cycle

1. Pre-Acquisition – Conceptualisation of business

needs for system

2. Acquisition – Realisation

3. Utilisation – Operation and Support

4. Retirement
 System Life Cycle

Pre-Acquisition –

Business needs for system confirmed

Justification of expenditure to be incurred

Cost-benefit , feasibility , funding available,

technology

Only cost effective and feasible projects are taken

to acquisition
 System Life Cycle

Acquisition –

It is focussed on bringing system into existence

System defined in three aspects

1. Business requirements
2. Stakeholders requirements
3. System requirements
 System Life Cycle

Utilisation –

Performance measures

Modifications and upgradation

Shortfalls, change in environment

 System Life Cycle

Parties involved

1. Customer organisation – Enterprise

management, business management

2. Acquisition element under a project

3. Operators and support elements

4. Supplier, developer

5. Contractor

6. Sub contrator
 System Life Cycle

Pre-acquisition phase

• Responsibility of enterprise management

• Project charter is developed

• Provides authority from business management to

project manager to expend resources

• Systems Engineering provides technical

management to project manager
 System Life Cycle

• Acquisition Phase

• Conceptual Design

• Preliminary Design

• Detailed Design and Development

• Construction/ production
 System Life Cycle

Acquisition Phase

Conceptual Design

• Transition between business world to

project world

• Mission statements to logical description of

SOI

• Requires engagement among business

managers and upper level stakeholders
 System Life Cycle
Mission statements to logical description of SOI

Three steps

1. Business Needs and Requirements (BNR)

2. Stakeholders Needs and Requirements (SNR)
3. System Requirement and Specification (SyRS)

SyRS is key element of Functional Baseline

FBL is system-level logical architecture

Conceptual design ends with System Design Review (SDR)

 System Life Cycle
System Design Review (SDR) finalises initial FBL

• Provides a formalised check of logical design

• Communicates design to major stakeholders

• Confirms external interface and interoperability

• Confirms BNR, SNR and SyRS

• Provides formal record of design decision and

acceptance
 System Life Cycle
System Design Review (SDR) finalises initial FBL

• Provides a formalised check of logical design

• Communicates design to major stakeholders

• Confirms external interface and interoperability

• Confirms BNR, SNR and SyRS

• Provides formal record of design decision and

acceptance
 System Life Cycle

Preliminary Design

• Converts FBL into upper-level physical

description

• Stage where logical design translates to

physical design

• Results in subsystem-level physical

groupings known Allocated Baseline
 System Life Cycle

Preliminary Design

• Allocated Baseline: Formalised at the

Preliminary Design Review (PDR)

PDR

Ensures technical adequacy of the porposed

solution in terms of technical risks

CI identification and compatibility of each CI

 System Life Cycle

Detailed Design and Development

• Complete development of individual subsystem

• Prototyping, testing and evaluation
• Development of Product Baseline (PBL)

• PBL is established at Critical Design Review

• Final design
• External and internal intefaces
• Readiness for construction, production
System Life Cycle
System Life Cycle
System Life Cycle
System Life Cycle
System Life Cycle
System Life Cycle
System Life Cycle
 Needs Assessment

Role of Civil Engineer – Design and implement

Confidently highlight the need – Gap Analysis

Modify/upgrade or scrap and build or build

Problem – Who identified? Who are the stakeholders?

Stakeholders – How tricky is it to consider their views

Problem: Road Network, Bridge

 Needs Assessment - Stages

Someone who identified the problem

Someone/Entity who will be potentially benefited by

system

Someone/Entity who will be adversely affected

 Needs Assessment - Stages

Is Demand/Supply Quantitative or Qualitative?

Dynamic nature of problem

 Types of Needs

Initial – System does not exist or needs to be discarded

Recurring – Capacity enhancement

Growing Needs vs Sudden Needs

 Civil Systems Supply and Demand

System Demand Supply

Public transportation
system
Highway system
Water supply system
Wastewater treatment
system

Urban drainage systems

 Civil Systems Supply and Demand

System Demand Supply

Public transportation Buses, train cars,

Number of transit users
system terminals
Highway system Number of vehicles Highway lanes, ramps
Gallons of water used Overhead of surface
Water supply system
daily water reservoirs
Wastewater treatment Gallons of wastewater Treatment ponds and
system treated daily tanks
Urbanization, which
reduces
Drainage pipes and
Urban drainage systems catchment area and
manholes
increases
runoff
 Civil Systems Supply and Demand

Structural Systems:

Demand: Expected loading, Improved functionality

Supply: Increase the structural strength of components

Transportation Systems:

Demand: Travel demand, population growth, economic units

Supply: Congestions, delays

Water Systems:

Demand: Capacity of fresh water, flood control

Supply: Dams, distribution networks, watershed areas
Mechanisms for System Needs Assessment
 Mechanisms for System Needs Assessment

User Targeted Mechanisms:

Questionnaire Surveys
Interviews
Focus Groups

Demand Supply Trend

Continuous Demand and Stepwise Supply

Continuous Demand and Supply
 Mechanisms for System Needs Assessment

User Targeted Mechanisms:

Questionnaire Surveys
Interviews
Focus Groups

Demand Supply Trend

Continuous Demand and Stepwise Supply

Continuous Demand and Supply
 Example of a System : Elements

Aircraft System

Personnel
Support
Facilities
Organisation, Policies and Procedures
Collective Training
Data
Major Equipment
 Example of a System : Elements

Aircraft System

Personnel – Air crew, Ground crew

Support – Maintenance Facilities, equipements
Facilities - Terminals
Organisation, Policies and Procedures - Regulations
Collective Training
Data – Specifications and drawings, Operating
procedures
Major Equipment – Aircraft and its functional
components
 Key Players
Stakeholders - Politicians; society; owner; financiers; insurers;
regulators; delivery client; design consultants; construction
contractors; supply chain including temporary works and material
suppliers

Enabling production system - Design, manufacturing and assembly

Key interdependencies - Natural environment; raw materials; other

resources; waste; neighbours; future users; other infrastructure
systems

Material flows - Raw materials; other resources; people; vehicles;

waste

Information flows - Digital asset information

Cost flows - Public and/or private funding; payment of supply-chain

 Mechanisms for System Needs Assessment

User Targeted Mechanisms:

Questionnaire Surveys:

Administer carefully framed questions

Written or oral answers
Answers may be quantified
Easy and cost effective

Poor response rates

Quality is compromised
Bias due to self-assessment and reporting by survey adm
 Mechanisms for System Needs Assessment

User Targeted Mechanisms:

Interviews:

Conversation between two parties

Face-to-face, emails, social media
Resource required is high

Lack of anonymity
Large population
Collating and analyzing data
 Mechanisms for System Needs Assessment

User Targeted Mechanisms:

Focus Groups

US Army
Small number and random
Draws strength from one another
Representation in terms of number
 Mechanisms for System Needs Assessment

Demand Supply Trend

Demand
Supply and Capacity

Continuous Demand and Stepwise Supply

a. Zero-Need Policy (ZNP)

Supply always outstrips the demand

Various scenarios
Policy of supply
 Mechanisms for System Needs Assessment

a. Zero-Need Policy (ZNP)

 Mechanisms for System Needs Assessment

a. Finite Need Policy (FNP)

 Demand allowed to outstrip the supply by a

predetermined margin
 Threshold
 Mechanisms for System Needs Assessment

Demand Supply Trend

Continuous Demand and Supply

 Mechanisms for System Needs Assessment
A civil system provides an initial capacity of 15,000 units,
which increases at 500 units annually for the next 15
years. The initial, demand is 12,000 units and grows at a
rate of 500 units annually for the first 3 years and 1000
units annually for the remaining 12 years. Using a plot of
the demand and supply trends, determine (a) the unused
capacity at year 2, (b) when a need starts to exist, (c) the
level of need at year 10, (d) the demand lead time at year
10, and (e) the total need, in unit-years, over the 15-year
period.
 System Planning
Civil Systems – do not exist in vacuum

Must meet physical, locational, economic, social and

political requirements

Affects not only the users and community, helps in

regional and national interests

Planning must be done for needs as well as impacts

(intended and unintended)
 System Planning
Perspectives of Civil System Planning

Individual System versus System of Systems

Any system is a part of a larger network

System planning must consider impact on larger network of

system
 System Planning
Planning Levels

Needs Assessment leads to goals and objectives

Planning guided by Needs phase and objectives mapped

Level 1 to 4

Level 1: Location and expected function

Level 2: Level 1 + economic efficiency (benefit cost ratio and

net present worth)

Level 3: Level 2 + social, environmental and cultural

Level 4: Level 3 + sustainability, resilience and vulnerability

 System Planning
Spatial Scope

Geographical extent

May be small or large

Water network or Hydro project

Political and legislative situations

Larger extent challenging

 System Planning
Impact on Stakeholders

Users: For whom the system is provided

Community: Live, work and carry our activity

Owner: Entity responsible for operation and management.

Private

Users: fares, safety, security and comfort

Community: air, water and noise pollution, economic

development and retention, dislocation and relocation

Owner: financial, claims and public relations

 System Planning
Evolving Contexts of Systems Planning

Increases Awareness of Future Uncertainties

Past- Planners considered deterministic models

Certainty was considered which has changed

Technologies, economic fluctuations, social progress –

inadequacies of deterministic approach

Demand and supply are probabilistic and have fluctuations

Incremental needs assessment and supply – systems should not

be rigid
 System Planning
Funding Limitations for System Maintenance

Maintenance: Previously not considered. Recent phenomenon.

Life-cycle cost.

Developed countries: Most infrastructure built post World-

War, major rehabilitation and replacement

Volume high and hence funds for upkeep high.

Funding is not available, neglected, sometimes catastrophic

events

Developing countries should draw from experience

 System Planning
Developments and Trends Influencing Systems Planning

2001 Terrorist Attack – Vulnerability to man-made hazard

System protection, resilience, maintain operational integrity,

facilitate evacuation, increase redundancy or line of defense.

Floods, landslides, earthquakes and other natural disasters

Climate Change, Environmental Issues

System Planning
 System Planning
Stage 0: Preplanning Activities

Confirmation of System Goals and Objectives:

Confirm the concerns of all stakeholders

Solicit information on their viewpoint
Identify conflicting interests
Resolution
Interaction should be encouraging and confidence-
building
Respect and concern to build long term faith

Establish Dimensions for the Planning Study:

Region, time and category
 System Planning
Stage 0: Preplanning Activities

Concerns of the System Owner and Other Stakeholders

Owners: Technical feasibility, financial implications,

upkeep and maintenance

Users: Safety, security, comfort, economic, environmental,

downtime issues

1. Ensure no one is left

2. Ensure all concerns are documented and discussed
3. Information gathering for dispute resolution
 System Planning
Stage 1: Identify Legal and Administrative Requirements

State, Local and National related to safety, environment and

equity

Administrative hurdles to be identified, clearances to be

sought

Step 2: Preliminary Studies

Desk Study and field reconnaissance

Maps, past designs, contracts

 System Planning
Step 3A: Develop Alternative Plans:

Relevance of each alternative: Need

Holistic nature of the alternative: Integration

Adequacy of the alternative: Goals and Objectives

Realistic nature of each alternative: Technology,

Manpower, Material, Time, Social and Economic

Number: Adequate

Transparency of plan development: Process

 System Planning
Step 3B: Select a Plan for Consideration

Step 4: Assessing the Cost and Benefits of Each Alternative

Plan

Benefits and costs

Initial costs vs life cycle costs

Benefits: Technical, social, environmental

Step 5: Determine Overall Impacts/Consequences of Plan

under Consideration
 System Planning
Step 6: Check Robustness of the Plan

Step 7: Consider the Next Alternative

Step 8: Identify the Optimal Plan

Step 9: Postplanning Activities

 System Planning
Barriers to Effective Planning

Political Influences:

Changing Goals and Objectives: Examples includes Dams,

Urban Streets, etc

Difficulty of Achieving Holistic Solutions: System of Systems,

Technical or institutional, Operational

Multiplicity of Concerns and Stakeholders

Lack of Government and Public Support

System Planning
 System Planning

The actual user cost for an existing system and the anticipated
user cost for a proposed system are 3.5 and 2.87 units per
million users, respectively. The annual usage of the system is
1.5 million; 1.8 million people are expected to use the system
when it is renewed. Determine the benefits due to the reduction
in the unit user cost.

Ans: 1.04 units per million users

System Planning : Continuous Assessment