A Framework for Complex System Development
Features
Summary
Industry, government, and academic efforts to create a generalized systems engineering process have repeatedly fallen short. The outcome? Systems engineering failures that produce losses like the September 1999 destruction of the Mars Climate Orbiter. A simple information transfer error between teams motivated far-reaching managerial and technical changes at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory-evidence of systems engineering complexity. Struck by the amount of chaos that can quickly develop from such intricacy, the author has devoted several years to the development and refinement of the framework delineated in this work to help you "control the chaos".
A Framework for Complex System Development develops a generalized process that distinguishes between "time" and "logical" domains-how I/O evolves over time versus the instantaneous program state. Explicitly characterized and identified, they preserve the framework. By combining these views, you get an application specific process, versatile enough for many different contexts. It also defines the technical activities that constitute the system development process and how they connect and interact with managerial activities. You will be able to integrate these activities and realize the maximum potential for success.
A key element to success in today's paradigm of "faster, better, cheaper" systems and decreasing resource levels is a clear, workable plan that can be easily implemented. A Framework for Complex System Development illustrates such a plan, distilling the essential aspects of system design into a logical process for a well-organized development program. With A Framework for Complex System Development, you can use the author's approach-developed in the crucible of the real world-to develop sound complex systems in an organized and efficient manner.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
Is a Structured Approach Needed
Technical and Managerial - Integration is Essential
Motivation
Objectives
Key Questions
"System" Defined in the Literature
Working Definition of "System"
LITERATURE SEARCH AND RATIONALE FOR THIS BOOK
Existing and Emerging Standards
Individual Works
The Basic Building Block
Unique Features of this Book
Time and Logical Domains
Tier Connectivity
Modularity
Coupling of Technical and Managerial Activities
Clear Presentation of Functional Decomposition
Explicit Inclusion of the Rework Cycle
Explicitly Defined Generalized Outputs
SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK (SDF) OVERVIEW
Two Views Needed for an Accurate Model
Rationale
An Illustration
Time and Logical Domain Views Provide a Full Program Description
Time Domain Focus: Inputs and Outputs
Logical Domain Focus: Energy Expenditure
The SDF in the Logical Domain
Control Logic
Hierarchy
Modularity
Closed Loop
Traceability
Comprehensiveness
Convergence
Risk
The SDF in the Time Domain
Incremental Solidification
Risk Tolerance Defines Scope
Time-Phased Outputs
System Life Cycle
THE REWORK CYCLE
What is the Rework Cycle?
A Simple System Dynamics Model
Rework Mitigation
SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK - TECHNICAL
Develop Requirements - Determine "What" the System Must Do
Inputs
Work Generation Activities
Derive Context Requirements
Generate Functional Description
Digression: Why Functional Analysis?
Rework Discovery Activities
Analyze Requirements
Analyze Functional Description
Synthesis
Work Generation Activities: Design and Integration
Design
Analysis
Allocation
Functional Decomposition
Inter-Level Interface
Integration
Rework Discovery Activities: Design Verification
Analysis and Test
Producibility, Testability, and Other Specialty Engineering Activities
Trade Analysis
Optimization and Tailorability
Optimization
Tailorability
The Integrated System Development Framework
THE SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK - MANAGERIAL
Integrating Technical and Managerial Activities
Developing the Program Structure
Interaction in the Logical Domain
Interaction in the Time Domain
A Note on Complexity
Major Milestone Reviews
What About Metrics
A POTPOURRI OF SDF-DERIVED PRINCIPLES
General
Risk
Functional Analysis
Allocation
Process
Iteration
Reviews
Metrics
Twenty "Cs" to Consider
APPENDIX A SMALL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND THE SDF
APPENDIX B TAILORED DOCUMENTATION WORKSHEET
APPENDIX C SDF-DERIVED MAJOR MILESTONE REVIEW CRITERIA
APPENDIC A SDF-DERIVED CURRICULUM
APPENDIX E MAPPING EQFD AND ROBUST DESIGN INTO THE SDF
APPENDIX F A SIMPLE SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODEL OF THE SDF
APPENDIX G SDF PRESENTATION SLIDES
Editorial Reviews
"As a Co-Director of MIT's System Design and Management Program, of which Paul is an alumnus, it is especially pleasing to read his book A Framework for Complex System Development. This excellent, much-needed book fills a significant void in system architecting by presenting an integrating framework for large scale systems. It brings together best practices from a number of different fields, including aerospace, automotive and software from both the technical and managerial perspectives. As a practitioner with many years experience Paul recognizes the importance of the business aspects of product development and does a good job of balancing the technical and the business problems. This book is one of the first in the area of systems architecting and as such is an important step forward. I congratulate Paul on producing a broad ranging and readable text that will undoubtedly stimulate much debate."
-Professor John Williams, Co-Director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's System Design and Management Program
