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1.6.5 The Case for Flexibility in System Design
Author(s) -
Saleh J.H.,
Marais K. S.,
Hastings D. E.,
Newman D.J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
incose international symposium
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2334-5837
DOI - 10.1002/j.2334-5837.2002.tb02572.x
Subject(s) - obsolescence , flexibility (engineering) , risk analysis (engineering) , computer science , systems design , reliability engineering , systems engineering , order (exchange) , system lifecycle , criticality , engineering , business , software , economics , physics , management , finance , marketing , nuclear physics , application lifecycle management , programming language
In this paper, we make the case for flexibility in system design. Flexibility is here defined as the ability of a system to respond to changes in its initial objectives and requirements, occurring after the system has been fielded, in a timely and cost‐effective manner. We argue that flexibility reduces a design's exposure to uncertainty, and provides a solution for mitigating market risk as well as risk associated with technology obsolescence. In order to illustrate the dynamics of system requirements, we first review the requirement generation activity. In addition, we demonstrate the criticality of technology obsolescence in the particular case of its impact on DoD related systems.