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11.1.2 Innovative Systems Engineering: A Creative System Development Approach
Author(s) -
Powell Robert A.,
Buede Dennis
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
incose international symposium
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2334-5837
DOI - 10.1002/j.2334-5837.2006.tb02827.x
Subject(s) - requirements analysis , systems engineering , requirements management , requirements engineering , system of systems , process (computing) , system requirements , non functional requirement , system of systems engineering , aerospace , systems design , key (lock) , computer science , functional requirement , process management , engineering management , engineering , software engineering , software development , computer security , software , programming language , aerospace engineering , operating system , software construction
The top‐level requirements for a system address the needs and objectives of the stakeholders and serves as a key input to the design process for a system's concept and detailed architecture. In today's systems engineering environment, the process of defining and choosing from multiple concepts is driven by top‐level (mission‐based) requirements. The use of requirements in engineering systems has gained such importance that an enormous amount of research focuses on various topics related to formulating, defining, and managing requirements. Recently, the US Department of Defense (DoD) and a few other organizations have moved to capability‐based systems engineering, which focuses on defining and trading off valuable capabilities rather than requirements. We have not always relied on requirements to initially define systems. Beginning with goals or defined system capabilities instead of requirements has proven as effective, if not more effective in the design of systems. The use of goals has been proven to produce 1) requirements that can be implemented, 2) minimal changes to requirements throughout system design since requirements are not yet fixed, and most importantly 3) a successful system. The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of goals as a precursor to requirements in developing a DoD military system. Case study analyses, of system development projects occurring as early as the late 1940s, reveal the use of goals as preeminent in developing successful operational systems. Although these cases represent DoD systems, specifically aerospace and missile systems, the concept of the use of goals as a precursor to requirements may generalize more broadly. This paper explores one case: the development of the Sidewinder missile.