Large system projects are complex with responsibilities and authorities scattered throughout the project organisation. Management Plans are high level written descriptions of what activities are carried out, by whom, when, and in accordance with what procedures.  [For smaller projects such information would generally be called up within a Quality Plan.]

Introduction

Examples of Management Plans
Generic Contents of Management Plans
Notes on the use of Management Plans

Manning refers to numbers and types of people required to operate and support a system.  Manning needs to be considered from the earliest stages of the project to ensure that when the system comes to be used/maintained, the right numbers of people with the right skills are available.

This chapter is only concerned here with overall manning levels and skill levels. Other aspects of manning such as interactions between man and machine, habitation requirements, etc. are discussed elsewhere - see HUMAN FACTORS.

Introduction

Steps in Manning Design
Functional Task Analysis
Workload Analysis
Questions to Ask in designing tasks
Assessment of Skill Levels
Outputs of Manning assessments
Some practical notes and guidance
Design For Manning Reductions

MMIs are the interface between a system and its human users and maintainers.  It relates to all direct interfacing, including for example the use of levers.  Frequently however when people talk of MMIs they are often referring to Human-Computer Interfaces/Interactions (MCIs) which are in fact a subset of MMIs.

In the past little attention has been given to designing in good human factor characteristics, largely because of the adaptability of the human and his ability to make things work. Modern systems however put great stress on humans such that human limits are severely tested and in many cases exceeded.  Good MMI design can thus be the difference between and effective system and a poor system.  Poor MMI design can lead to systems being unusable under certain circumstances, difficult to maintain, and unsafe.

Introduction

Areas to be considered in defining MMI requirements
Features of MCI displays
Limitations and Directions in the Specification of MMIs
MMI design as part of system design
The need for common 'look and feel' in MMIs
Consequences of inadequate attention to human factors in MMI design
Maintainer MMIs
Future Directions

Maintainability is the ease, rapidity, efficacy, safety and cost with which an item can be retained in, or restored to, its operational condition in a given period of time.

Maintenance are all those activities carried out associated with diagnosing, repairing, or preventing system failures.

How well a system is designed with respect to its maintainability has a major impact upon both the systems operational availability and upon the life-cycle costs for the system.  There is also a lot of work required to set up an appropriate infrastructure for system maintenance.

Introduction

Maintenance parameters
The Maintenance Concept
Levels of Maintenance
Corrective Maintenance
Preventive Maintenance
Repair Policies
Design for Maintainability
Design of a Maintenance 'System'
Factors to consider with respect to the Maintenance Infrastructure
Who should do maintenance?
Maintenance Documentation
The Maintainer
Maintenance related trade-offs
Maintainability Predictions
Proving Maintainability
Management of Maintenance/Maintainability
Contracting for Maintainability/Maintenance

Margins are reserved/unused amounts/areas.  They may be included for many different reasons, for example as a safety margin, to improve reliability, to provide a means for coping with future uncertainty, or to provide future expansion capability.  However because there is also usually a cost associated with them there is the need to trade-off potential benefits against costs.

Introduction

Examples of where Margins are typically used

Marketing is a business function, and is of relevance to systems engineering and project management because projects themselves need marketing (both outside and possibly inside the organisation).  Whilst an individual may not be themselves responsible for global marketing of the project they should be aware of general marketing principles.  Some of the details below are not in truth directly relevant to system projects, but they are nevertheless some of the classic techniques behind marketing and some knowledge of them will help widen the readers general understanding of marketing.

Introduction

Marketing as a Business Function
Marketing Functions
Market Research techniques
The Marketing Mix
Marketing Strategies
Setting Price
Marketing Analysis Methods
Miscellaneous Marketing Concepts
Marketing as a System Engineering Skill
Parallels between System Engineering and Marketing
Should engineers do marketing, or should marketing be left to

Meetings are a vital part of effective communication, but have the potential for wasting an enormous amount of time and resource.  The guidance given in this chapter is both to help you be more effective with respect to meetings, be you involved in organising, chairing, or participating, and also to make you more aware of underlying principles relating to meetings so that you can be sure they are the most effective way of achieving whatever communication or agreements you are looking for.

Introduction

The Purpose of Meetings
Benefits and costs of meetings, and potential alternatives
Potential alternatives of Meetings
The Cost of Meetings
The Benefits of Meetings
Organising meetings
Calling Notice/Agenda (Example)
Progress Reporting
The Chairman
Chairman's Checklist for the Meeting itself
Minute Taking
Attendee's Checklist for the Meeting itself
Following-up a meeting
'Tricks' in keeping meetings short
Key Points

Metrics are parameters associated with a process which can be measured. Metrics are typically used to measure process effectiveness, efficiency, quality, and productivity, and thus enable the changes to tracked over a long period of time.  They can be a useful management tool, but are all too often poorly applied, and frequently do more harm than good.

Introduction

Use of Metrics
Characteristics of Metrics
Quantifying Metrics
Examples of Metrics
Examples of the need to take care in the use of metrics

A model is a representation of something with some essential characteristics of the thing being represented.  The behaviour of the thing represented can then be investigated by manipulating the model either before the thing itself is produced, or in circumstances where it is not practical for the thing itself.

It is essential in a system project environment because it means that many of the detailed characteristics of the system can be determined using modeling before it is produced, and thus significantly reduce the possibility of something wrong being produced, or something less cost-effective than it might otherwise have been.  Models produced to aid design often have a use through-out the life-cycle, for example in helping determine how best to use the system, and in helping identify cost-effective upgrades to the system.

Most modeling in a system project environment is now conducted using computer based representations.

Whilst the benefits of modeling are large, so can the costs be, and some costly modeling can be of little value.  It is important therefore to apply the modeling itself in a cost-effective manner.

Introduction

Characteristics of a computer model
Algorithms and Data
Model Design, Build, Maintenance and Verification
Model Verification and Validation
Characteristics of and Validation of Simulation Models
Notes on Validation for other types of Model
Notes on Using Modeling Effectively
Examples of Specific Uses of Modeling and their relevance to Systems Engineering
Modeling Technologies
Numerical Approximations
Notes on Modeling ( Software Testing, Monte-Carlo Simulations, Limit of Applicability, Assessment Studies using Simulation Models, and Transportability)
Benefits of Modeling
Model Design Tips
Buying Models
Comparison of physical scale modeling with computer modeling