PART 1 - OVERVIEWS

This chapter includes sections with both introduce the scope of this handbook itself, and the scope of the systems engineering and project management itself, under the headings given below.

In broad terms the core of this book is about projects whose purpose is to design and overview the production of a system which is ultimately realizable in physical terms (eg. some sort of land, air, space, or sea craft).  However many of the topics covered in this book are relevant in a very much wider context, in particular many of the the individual topics covered are written in a general manner which makes no reference at all to systems or projects.  Particular areas of more general coverage include:  Self Management, and Management in general.

Systems Projects themselves generally have two aspects to them:

• a 'Systems Engineering' aspect, which is about the product itself and ensuring that it is properly specified and that the project activities ultimately lead to a product which is acceptable to the customer;
• a 'Project Management' aspect which is principally concerned with the management of resources to achieve the Systems Engineering goals;

To be successful those responsible for a systems project need to consider the first two of these aspects in a single integrated manner, and many shortcomings and failures on projects can be traced to failure to do this.  

Scope and Structure of Handbook

Overview of Systems/Project Engineering/Management (SPEM)

Introduction to Systems/Project Engineering/Management

Text Figures:

• They exist within complex Organisational Environments.

• A system project is a special case of a project.

• A Systems project is unique.

• A system could have a life-cycle spanning decades.

• System projects require large teams to work on them, many of them specialists, and many of whom are often spread amongst different organisations.

• System projects tend to include elements at or close to the forefront of technology.

• System projects are expensive, with both cost-effectiveness and cost being major issues.

Hand Drawn Figures:

Fig OI.1 Illustration of System and System Project Concepts
Fig OI.5 Scope of Systems Engineering and Management

There are a few simple concepts relating to 'systems thinking' from which the ideas in this book flows. And they are a recurring theme throughout the book. They are introduced in this chapter to provide a background understanding to the principles addressed in detail in this handbook.

Introduction

• Hierarchies

• Integration

• State

• Optimisation

• Modeling

Text Figures

Types of Interaction (A)
Typical types of Part.
Re-inventing Systems Theory

• The success of specialisation

• The growth of complexity

• The drive to be more formal about systems theory

• Why is generic system/holistic thinking still not fully recognised/accepted?

Some Principles of and arising from systems thinking
Underlying Approach to System Design derived from Systems Thinking
Key Concepts of Systems Thinking

Hand Drawn Figures:

Fig 0.Ab Types of Interaction (B)
Fig 0.1   A system and its parts
Fig 0.3A Alternative System Decompositions
Fig 0.4a A basic approach to problem solving. 
Fig 0.4b Trial and Error approach to problem solving.
Fig 0.4c Solution Focusing approach to problem solving.
Fig 0.5 Illustration of Solution Elaboration

This chapter introduces the system entity itself, and the environment within which it exists, in particular it also identifies other entities which are an inherent part of its operation and support.

The 'Prime Mission' System

• Constituent parts of the Prime Mission System
• The Purpose of the System and its components
• The Operational Environment
• Interactions between constituent parts of the System

• Overall Support Needs
• Support Facilities and Equipment
• Support Operators (ie. Maintainers)

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This chapter identifies a system as something having a life-cycle. An understanding of this is important both to understand where system projects and design phases fit into this life cycle, as well as being something designers must take explicit account of in the design itself.

Introduction

Introduction to the System Life Cycle

• Design
• Manufacture/Production
• Proving
• Setting to work
• Use in service and support
• Upgrade
• Disposal

• Design Management
• Manufacture/Production Management
• Operation and Support Management
• Major Upgrade Management
• Disposal Management

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This chapter looks more closely at the design phase or phases, design activities, and the design project(s).  A particularly important concept discussed is that of differentiating design as an activity from design as a project phase.

Scope of System Design
Differentiating design as an activity from design as a phase
Design as an Activity

• The System Design Description/Definition
• Maintenance of Design
• Proof of Design
• Design Activities

Text Figures

• Some Specific Customer/Requirement-Authority Concerns
• Some Specific Supplier/Design-Authority Concerns

• Pre-Concept
• Concept
• Feasibility
• Definition (System Design)
• Sub-System Design Phase
• Detailed Equipment/Component Design Phase
• Detailed Physical Design Phase
• Design Project Activities relating to Manufacture/Production
• Proving and Acceptance
• Setting to Work
• In-service

This chapter describes all the various aspects of systems engineering in the context of system design. Some of the areas discussed as management in the next chapter are also sometimes considered as system engineering functions, and close integration of the areas discussed here with those discussed in the next chapter is necessary for successful derivation and management of the system design. This integration is discussed in the next chapter but one.

A System Solution

• People as part of system solution
• Implications of the full life-cycle

1. Requirement Analysis/Detailing
2. Deriving System Concepts
3. Confirming/Investigating the feasibility of derived System Concepts 
4. Assessing the extent to which System Concepts meet the Requirement 
5. Trade-off Analysis 
6. Maintaining Coherence of System Solution and Solution Detailing

• Having confidence that the requirement will be met
• Having confidence that the solution is the best available
• Having confidence that the design is integrated

• Specialist Engineering Activities
• Generic Engineering Activities
• What is Generic and What is Specialist

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The system design phase(s) of a project covers both an activity, ie. deriving a system design, and covers a period of time, a phase, during which non-design activities must also be undertaken, eg. preparing for production, or even carrying out production related activities on certain 'long' lead items. This chapter addresses the project management activities carried out during this phase. Note that some of the activities identified in the previous section are sometimes thought of as Project Management related activities, and some of the activities carried out here are sometimes thought of as systems engineering related activities. The next chapter ensures that Systems Engineering and Project Management activities are considered together.

Project Engineering Activities

• General Project Engineering

• A Activity/Programme Planning
• B Human Resource Management
• C Financial Control
• D On-going Programme Management
• E Procurement Management
• F Customer Interface Management
• G Data/Documentation Management
• H Risk Management
• I Quality Assurance

• Organisational Activities

• Task planning and progress Issues
• People Issues
• Characteristics required of Task Managers

• A View of the Management Process
• Constraints on Project
• Integration of management and engineering activities
• How much programme and other management activities should be undertaken by project engineering staff, and how much directly by engineers and engineering managers themselves?
• Project Start-Up
• Managing the Shut Down of a Project/Activity
• An Organisational Structure for a Project

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This chapter looks at how project management and systems engineering can and should work together during the system design phases(s).

Introduction

• Generic Activities
• Design Phases

• Iteration Planning
• Requirements & Constraints Allocation
• Sub-System/Technology Studies
• Integrated Programme/Cost Estimations
• Integrated Function and Performance Studies
• Design Integration Activities
• Trade-Off Studies
• Approval of Design
• Prepare for Later Phase Activities
• Undertake Long Lead Activities
• Manage Iteration/Phase Programme
• Manage Iteration/Phase Information/Data

The project contracting infrastructure
Relationship of Solution Focusing to other Design Models and Approaches
The Complete Life-Cycle
Tailoring and Back-Fitting the Solution Focusing Approach

• Tailoring the Solution Focusing Approach
• Back-Fitting the Solution Focusing Approach

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• A Contracts may not be for all of design, build, and support
• B Simpler Projects
• C Customer and System Design are the same organisation
• D The customer and the user are two separate organisations
• E Internal Politics and desire to use own organisation solutions for component parts

• Concept
• Feasibility
• System Design/Definition
• Detailed Design
• Detailed Physical Design

• Top Down
• 'V' Model
• Prototyping
• Iterative Development
• Spiral Model
• Concurrent Engineering

This chapter addresses a number of miscellaneous issues following from the previous sections associated with projects in practice. The areas addressed are:

• Variations in assumptions about design project responsibility, which considers different contracting approaches in terms of when and if a customer hands over design responsibility to another organisation.

• Impact of the environment, and in particular of change in various aspects of the environment.

Introduction

• Variations on assumptions about Design Project Responsibility
• Impact of Environment

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• Organisational Environment, ie. the customer and system design organisations
• Industrial Environment
• Existing Environment
• Technological Environment
• Operational Environment
• Support Environment
• Human Environment
• Common Themes about Environment in General

• Managing Requirements Changes Later During, Or After Completion Of, the Design
• Political manipulation of 'pure' model
• Problems of Having to Justify the Project

Ultimately Systems Engineering and Project Management is carried out by people, supported by computer systems which are becoming more and more sophisticated year by year. The success of a system project is critically dependent not only upon the adoption of appropriate processes, which is what much of the earlier chapters in this Part have been about; but its also about having the right people in the right jobs with the right tools. This chapter addresses these issues and the interactions between them.

Introduction

Text Figures:

Characteristics required of Systems Engineers
Characteristics required of System Project Management Staff
Impact of quality of people on project success
Processes and Characteristics required of them
Formality and Detail of Processes
Interactions of Formality and Detail
Impact of processes on project success
Project Organisation
The trade off between People and Project Organisation
The changing computer tool environment
The Changing Project Management Tool Environment
The Changing Design Tool Environment
How tools impact upon the success of a project
Why Tools are not addressed in Detail in this book
Trade-Offs between People, Processes and Tools

Many, probably most, complex (and not so complex) system design projects either dramatically fail, or at least fall far short of what they could/should have achieved. This chapter discusses some of the reasons for this, and how the processes and guidelines given in this book will significantly reduce problems with future or existing system projects.

• What is and is not a project failure
• Why does lack of a systems approach lead to project failures?
• What are the key elements of the systems approach which reduces problems with projects, and why
• Why do projects which claim to follow a systems approach still fail or fall short of their potential?

• The pivotal role of the System Definition/Design
• The Importance of Having Quality Processes
• The Importance of Maintaining Design Traceability
• The growing complexity of and importance of Data Management
• The Importance of Maintaining a Balance
• Long Lead Management
• Resource Management

• Lower level Requirements are derived by Decomposition of higher level requirements
• The Requirement is for a Design rather than satisfaction of a Need

This chapter reviews the core concepts covered in or implied by the previous chapters of this part of the Handbook, and discusses some of the issues that arise.

Introduction

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Core Design Stage Concepts
Key areas of activity during different stages of design
Key Points of Emphasis

• Design For ...
• Prepare For ...
• Integrating System and Physical Design

• The changing definition of systems and systems engineering
• Evolution of Specialist Engineering Areas
• General Systems Engineering and Product-Systems Engineering

• Use of Analogies
• Establishing feasibility relating to anything
• There's something you've not thought about
• A systems approach to general problem solving

• Typical Life-Cycle Phases:

• Core Design Stages

• Specialty Analysis Areas

• Environmental Factors

• Integration Issues

This handbook has been written primarily as a description of concepts and methods associated with the design of complex hardware/software systems. However the underlying concepts are based upon the more general concept of systems thinking, and some of the details given in this book are applicable to wider problems than those on which this book focuses.

This chapter identifies the extent to which the core concepts and methods apply to other projects and systems.

Introduction

Application to projects in general
Application to soft systems
Application to Product Systems
Application to Simpler Systems
General Notes on Application