Systems Engineering

Identifying and measuring the value of human factors to an acquisition project

by Rebecca Grier

A Systems Engineering Approach to Telemedicine System Implementation in South Africa

by Corne Schutte

Van Dyk, L., Schutte, C. S. L., & Fortuin, J. B. (2011). A Systems Engineering Approach to Telemedicine System Implementation in South Africa. ISEM 2011. Stellenbosch.

The South African National Department of Health (DoH) is recognizing, for more than a decade already, the potential... more The South African National Department of Health (DoH) is recognizing, for more than a decade already, the potential benefit of information and communication technology (ICT) to deliver healthcare to rural areas. However, despite generous funding and proven technology, not many of telemedicine systems sustained after pilot phase. The purpose of this paper is to develop a maturity model that can be used to measure and manage the capability of a health system to sustain health care delivery after the pilot phase of a telemedicine project. Four existing frameworks are used as input to this maturity model, namely the ISO 15288 Systems Engineering Life Cycle Standards, the ISO/IEC 15504 Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination (SPICE), eHealth Readiness Instrument for developing countries and the Layered Telemedicine Implementation Model. The validity of this maturity model is tested by means of a focus group discussion, during a workshop of provincial representatives from a provincial department of health (DoH). In conclusion, follow-up work is proposed for the development and validation of future versions of this framework towards a maturity model for telemedicine projects.

System-of-Systems Architectural Considerations for Complex Environments and Evolving Requirements

by Michael Corsello

Behaviour Prediction Framework in System Architecture Development

by Mario Storga

co-authored by Krešimir, Osman; Štorga, Mario; Stanković, Tino; Marjanović, Dorian
published in Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 104 (2012) pp 3-12, Available online since September 2011

This paper proposes a Behaviour Prediction Framework with an objective to help designers tackling the problem of... more This paper proposes a Behaviour Prediction Framework with an objective to help designers tackling the problem of uncertainty emerging from system architecture and the effects of the uncertain operating conditions. The proposed framework combines structural and dynamic system model. The Design Structure Matrix is applied to model structural arrangements and dependencies between the subsystems. The Model Predictive Control is applied to model the system in discrete and continuous dynamic domains. As the result of the proposed framework, stability analysis of subsystems in interaction become possible and feedback on system architecture could be provided. To test validity of the proposed approach, the test case involving climate chamber with heat regeneration is presented.

Systemic Approach for the Maintenance of Complex Structural Systems

by stefania Arangio

Structure and infrastructure Engineering, 4; 77-94, 2008, ISSN: 1573-247

ALBATROS - A Space Engineering Tool

by Michiel Kruijff

Mr. Patrick Hambloch
Hochschule Niederrhein, Krefeld, Germany

Mr. Fabio De Pascale
ESA-ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

Mr. Michiel Kruijff
Delta-Utec SRC, Leiden, The Netherlands

ALBATRos (Automated Listing Budgeting And Tracing Repository) is a newly developed web-based tool that supports system... more ALBATRos (Automated Listing Budgeting And Tracing Repository) is a newly developed web-based tool that supports system engineering and QA/PA in satellite design in an integrated and intuitive manner.
It was developed during the second Young Engineers' Satellite (YES2) project to join all the necessary system engineering functions and elements in one application, accessible at all times for all team members. The tool was launched and - quite uniquely - was allowed to evolve significantly and eventually proved to be very successful in increasing the project’s quality and in streamlining its design. This paper highlights the design process behind the tool that has lead to great flexibility and allows the tool to be easily adapted and scaled up or down for any project. The dynamical interaction of ALBATRos development and usage of the tool within the project was analysed focusing also on the impact on the team’s working methodology.
The main strength of ALBATRos is that it is a single and powerful tool and therefore it is in fact used by the whole team - at different access levels. This has a large impact on the work of the system engineer who becomes more a controller and less a designer of details.

Modeling Variability from Requirements to Runtime

by Mathieu Acher

A Systems Approach to Strategy and Execution in National Security Enterprises

by Richard Hodge

Further information available from the author:
E1: Richard.Hodge@unisa.edu.au
E2: Hodge.rj@me.com
T: +61 418 866 542

Due to the low resolution of the pdf translation, figures such as Fig 4-4 have not printed properly.

This thesis was conducted part time over nine years while the author was engaged in full time employment at a senior... more This thesis was conducted part time over nine years while the author was engaged in full time employment at a senior executive level.

This thesis presents a contribution to the field of strategy and execution for large, complex organisations in the national security sector. Enterprises in this sector may be public and/or private. They are characterised by the critical functions they deliver to deal with serious and unusual emergencies or provide critical national infrastructure. For example, Defence, emergency services, transport security, health care, banking and finance, customs and border protection – they all prepare for serious and unusual activities although this is not the activity that occupies the majority of their time. They help to define our national character here and abroad.

A consequence of national security enterprises (NSEs) needing to plan for substantial, unlikely events is that the evaluation and feedback on the strategy and its implementation is neither immediate nor easy to achieve. It has long been recognised that strategy formation for NSEs is both challenging and often felt to be poorly executed in acquisition programs and poorly connected to daily operations.

This thesis draws on knowledge of strategy practice in Defence and other NSEs, business strategic planning and systems approaches to management. It synthesises a conceptual model for an integrated strategy framework and an associated methodology that directs practice. This is validated by two case studies that illustrate the utility of the methodology in different areas of concern: defence and health. These studies inform the refinement of the methodology, which is then tested in a further three minor case studies.

The thesis concludes with an analysis of what has been learned through the research program and how the work significantly contributes to the field through the presentation of an integrated strategy framework and how it can be used to inform strategy practice not only in national security enterprises but in all substantial businesses, where survival and growth are important.

1998 SDPS Paper: "Design and Development of a New Integrated Communication System for C-5 Galaxy Aircraft"

by Ismail Cicek, Ph.D. (Isaac)

Cicek, I., Schafer, D., “Design and Development of a New Integrated Communication System for C-5 Galaxy Aircraft,” Transactions of the SDPS. Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 2.4., March 1998.

This paper describes the deficiencies of the existing Ground Processing Interface System (GPIS) and explains how the... more This paper describes the deficiencies of the existing Ground Processing Interface System (GPIS) and explains how the new system overcomes these deficiencies. The GPIS reads C-5 aircraft flight data tape cartridges, translates the flight data to a format compatible with the existing Ground Processing System (GPS), and transmits the flight data to the GPS Central Data Base (CDB) facility at Tinker Air Force Base (AFB). The existing GPIS has numerous hardware, software, and communication deficiencies. The original manufacturer no longer supports the hardware which must be replaced to allow effective software upgrade.
The new system is referred to as the GPIS C and consists of a Maintenance Data Recorder (MDR) with MIL-STD-1553B Interface, a GPIS computer, a windows-based software application, and a communication link. The GPIS C software with a graphical user interface (GUI), developed using LabVIEW, acts as the Bus Controller for the MIL-STD-1553B Interface, allows data operations with the MDR (Remote Terminal), and connects the system to the CDB facility for file transfers using FTP over the military controlled network.

Hein, A: “Identification and Bridging of Semantic Gaps in the Context of Multi-Domain Engineering”

by Andreas M. Hein

2010 Forum on Philosophy, Engineering & Technology, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, USA

Czupalla, M., Hager, P., Hein, A.: “Model Confidence Level - A Systematic Metric for Development of a Virtual Space Habitat”

by Andreas M. Hein

SAE-Technical Paper 2009-01-0208, International Conference on Environmental Systems, Savannah, USA, 2009

In order to assess the robustness of a Spacecraft Life Support System (LSS) design based on average performance... more In order to assess the robustness of a Spacecraft Life Support System (LSS) design based on average performance values, criteria such as stability and controllability must be considered under variable and peak system loads. The Exploration Group at the Technische Universität München (TUM) is developing the “Virtual Habitat” computational tool (V-HAB) for exactly this type of investigation. In order to characterize the relative level of confidence for a complex model such as this, a generalized metric was defined which is able to indicate an incremental Model Confidence Level (MCL) throughout the model development process. This paper describes a proposed metric for systematically rating and describing the level of model development, created for and based on the V-HAB simulation.

Knowledge-enriched Requirement Specification for One-of-a-kind Complex Systems.pdf

by Esmond Urwin

published in 'Journal of Concurrent Engineering', 2005

Requirement engineering (RE) process is becoming a key factor for the success of complex one-of-a-kind products. The... more Requirement engineering (RE) process is becoming a key factor for the success of complex one-of-a-kind products. The RE process is commonly viewed as an early system engineering phase with a major bearing on response time, quality, and cost. This study reports on the knowledge acquisition and sharing for requirement engineering (KARE), approach for requirement specification of one-of-a-kind complex systems. The approach provides a generic view of key RE processes clustered into three groups of activities – requirements elicitation, analysis, and negotiation. The process is supported by a set of knowledge functions aimed at facilitating the requirement engineers in matching customer requirements to product characteristics. At the analysis stage, the customer requirements are transformed into product requirements, which can be compared to existing company knowledge, for example, previous products, technology platforms, and production capabilities. The specified product requirements are then interactively evaluated and negotiated against customer and supplier performance indicators.

Knowledge Based Requirement Engineering for One-of-a-Kind Complex Systems.pdf

by Esmond Urwin

published in 'Journal of Knowledge Based Systems', 2003

The success of requirement specification in new design projects largely depends on an accurate match between customer... more The success of requirement specification in new design projects largely depends on an accurate match between customer requirements and company product and process knowledge. Despite the recent developments in the domain there is still a lack of transparency and consistent definition and integration of the activities in requirement engineering (RE). There is also a lack of structured methods for capturing relevant enterprise knowledge and deploying it in support of decision making for requirement specification. This paper reports on the knowledge acquisition and sharing for requirement engineering (KARE) approach for requirement specification of one-of-a-kind complex systems. The approach provides a generic view of key RE processes clustered into three groups of activities: requirement elicitation, analysis and negotiation. The process is supported by a set of knowledge functions aimed at facilitating the requirement engineers in matching customer requirements to product characteristics. The reported research has been developed as part of the ESPRIT collaborative project KARE funded by the European Commission.

Through Life Capability Management: Benefits And Behaviours

by Esmond Urwin

Proceedings of the International Conference on Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors, 2010

Many commercial and social endeavours require a multitude of socio-technical systems to work together effectively in... more Many commercial and social endeavours require a multitude of socio-technical systems to work together effectively in what has come to be known as systems of systems. The Through Life Capability Management (TLCM) construct, currently being embraced by defence departments across the globe, is one such endeavour. TLCM demands changes in the organisation and culture of the defence supply chain in ways that fly in the face of traditional commercial wisdom. This paper reports on two workshops held with TLCM stakeholders in which they identified, and then prioritised, the benefits that they sought from TLCM. From an agreed set of priority benefits, the groups identified the behaviours needed to realise them; the results point to significant challenges in terms of culture and knowledge management. Ergonomists and systems engineers will need to support development of intervention strategies to effect these required changes.

A Numerical Method for Customer Needs Analysis

by MD. Mamunur Rashid

Proceedings of the 13th Annual Paper Meet
25 September 2010, Dhaka
Md Mamunur Rashid

Faculty, Bangladesh Institute of Management, Dhaka-1207
Doctoral Student, Kitami Institute of Technology, Kitami, Hokkaido-090-8507, JAPAN
Member, Executive Committee (2009-2010), Mechanical Engineering Division, IEB

Jun’ichi Tamaki, A.M.M. Sharif Ullah and Akihiko Kubo
Kitami Institute of Technology, Kitami, Hokkaido-090-8507, JAPAN

E-mail:dse10831@std.kitami-it.ac.jp

Customer needs is crucial for product development. There are many models for customer needs analysis. One of the... more Customer needs is crucial for product development. There are many models for customer needs analysis. One of the well-known models is Kano Model. Kano model can be formulated customer needs for product development. Functional (FE) and dysfunctional (DE) forms answer of Kano Model , i.e. Like, Must-be, Neutral, Live-with and Dislike of a product attribute have been applied to choose the Kano evaluation (KE), i.e. Attractive (A), One-dimensional (O), Must-be (M), Indifferent (I), Reverse (R), and Questionable (Q). Questionnaires have filled and returned by individuals are essential for Kano model. Many questionnaires have not been returned in that case. Moreover, many possible consumers could not get opportunity for filled-up questionnaire. These uncertain or unknown consumers’ opinions are also essential for product development. Under these circumstances the discrete variables have been generated by the formula RAND () in Microsoft Office Excel and also applied Monte Carlo simulation methods. This paper is outline a numerical method for customer need evaluation regarding Kano model based.

The Cyborg Astrobiologist: porting from a wearable computer to the Astrobiology Phone-cam

by Patrick McGuire

The use of systems engineering principles to analyse the national poverty alleviation system

by marita turpin

System and software safety in critical systems

by Jonathan Bowen

A systemic approach to governance in extended enterprise systems

by Ali Mostashari

This paper is an effort to introduce Enterprise Systems Governance (ESG) as a new systemic approach to governance... more This paper is an effort to introduce Enterprise Systems Governance (ESG) as a new systemic approach to governance within the System of Systems (SoS) environment. The proposed interdisciplinary approach combines theories of complexity and social sciences with those developed for systems and networks to: theorize problems of Extended Enterprise Systems (EES); explore how they are governed; and study how their governance structure strives for effectiveness over time. ESG adopts qualitative insights from complexity theories fundamentals, organizational behavior studies, systems thinking tools, and social sciences, and supports them with quantitative procedures and techniques such as agent-based modeling, social network analysis, dynamic systems analysis, and game theory to create new set of methodologies, tailored for governing EES. We believe that ESG can be expanded to become a new field of science that will address the need for a fundamental understanding of how organizational architectures evolve around technological systems and processes to generate complex network-based structures. It will also offer effective and holistic solutions to resolve major challenges regarding the governance of socio-technological and large-scale extended enterprises, SoS, and adaptive complex systems, such as the financial system as well as development programs and infrastructure systems.

Engaging stakeholders in engineering systems representation and modeling

by Ali Mostashari

Engineering systems policy analysis, design and implementation is complicated by the fact that such systems often... more Engineering systems policy analysis, design and implementation is complicated by the fact that such systems often involve a complex technical and scientific analysis process that often does not take into consideration the social and institutional system, within which the technological system is embedded. Even in analyzing the physical layers of the system, expert models are affected by the cognitive limitations of experts. Given that most large-scale engineering systems involve high stakes for its stakeholders and involves high amounts of scientific and technical uncertainty, an expert model may provide recommendations that do no take into account stakeholder and decision-maker concerns and knowledge, and may thus be unsuccessful in meeting its goal of improving system performance. To address these issues, we propose to engage stakeholders from early on in the representation and modeling of engineering systems using a Stakeholder-Assisted Modeling and Policy Design (SAM-PD) process, which uses concepts from systems thinking and collaborative decision-making to facilitate the collaborative representation and modeling of complex, large-scale engineering systems. This paper argues that the involvement of decision-makers and stakeholders in the representation and modeling of the system can improve the modeling process and help take into account decision-maker and stakeholder concerns, and ultimately lead to decisions that are viewed as more legitimate by decision-makers and stakeholders.