INCOSE Appendix C - Terms and Definitions

Question 1

Define - Acquirer

Answer 1

The stakeholder that acquires or procures a product or service from a supplier

Question 2

Define - “-ilities”

Answer 2

The developmental, operational, and support requirements a program must address (named because they typically end in “ility” - availability, maintainability, vulnerability, reliability, etc.)

Question 3

Define - Acquisition logistics

Answer 3

Technical and management activities conducted to ensure supportability implications are considered early and throughout the acquisition process to minimize support costs and to provide the user with the resources to sustain the system in the field.

Question 4

Define - Activitiy

Answer 4

A set of cohesive tasks of a process

Question 5

Define - Agile

Answer 5

Project execution methods can be described on a continuum from “adaptive” to “predictive.” Agile methods exist on the “adaptive” side of this continuum, which is not the same as saying that agile methods are “unplanned” or “undisciplined”

Question 6

Define - Agreement

Answer 6

The mutual acknowledgment of terms and conditions under which a working relationship is conducted

Question 7

Define - Architecture

Answer 7

(System) fundamental concepts or properties of a system in its environment embodied in its elements, relationships, and in the principles of its design and evolution.

Question 8

Define - Baseline

Answer 8

The gate-controlled step-by-step elaboration of business, budget, functional, performance, and physical characteristics, mutually agreed to by buyer and seller, and under formal change control. Baselines can be modified between formal decision gates by mutual consent through the change control process.

Question 9

Define - Black box/white box

Answer 9

Black box represents an external view of the system (attributes). White box represents an internal view of the system (attributes and structure of the elements).

Question 10

Define - Capability

Answer 10

An expression of a system, product, function, or process ability to achieve a specific objective under stated conditions.

Question 11

Define - Commercial off the shelf (COTS)

Answer 11

Commercial items that require no unique acquirer modifications or maintenance over the life cycle of the product to meet the needs of the procuring agency.

Question 12

Define - Commonality

Answer 12

(Of a product line) refers to functional and nonfunctional characteristics that can be shared with all member products within a product line.

Question 13

Define - Configuration

Answer 13

A characteristic of a system element, or project artifact, describing their maturity or performance.

Question 14

Define - Configuration item (CI)

Answer 14

A hardware, software, or composite item at any level in the system hierarchy designated for configuration management. CIs have four common characteristics:
1. Defined functionality
2. Replaceable as an entity
3. Unique specification
4. Formal control of form, fit and function

Question 15

Define - Decision gate

Answer 15

An approval event (often associated with a review meeting). Entry and exit criteria are established for each decision gate; continuation beyond the decision gate is contingent on the agreement of decision makers.

Question 16

Define - Derived requirements

Answer 16

Detailed characteristics of the system of interest (SOI) that typically are identified during elicitation of stakeholder requirements, requirements analysis, trade studies, or validation

Question 17

Define - Design constraints

Answer 17

The boundary conditions, externally or internally imposed, for the SOI within which the organization must remain when executing the processes during the concept and development stages.

Question 18

Define - Domain asset

Answer 18

Is the output of a subprocess of domain engineering that is reused for producing two or more products in a product line. Domain assets are NOT physical products.

Question 19

Define - Domain scoping

Answer 19

Identifies and bounds the functional domains that are important to an envisioned product line and provide sufficient reuse potential to justify the product line creation.

Question 20

Define - Enabling system

Answer 20

A system that supports the SOI during its life cycle stages but does not necessarily contribute directly to its function during operation.

Question 21

Define - Enterprise

Answer 21

A purposeful combination of interdependent resources that interact with each other to achieve business and operational goals.

Question 22

Define - Environment

Answer 22

The surroundings (natural or man-made) in which the SOI is utilized and supported or in which the system is being developed, produced, and retired.

Question 23

Define - Facility

Answer 23

The physical means or equipment for facilitating the performance of an action, for example, buildings, instruments, and tools.

Question 24

Define - Failure

Answer 24

The event in which any part of an item does not perform as required by its specification. The failure may occur at a value in excess of the minimum required in the specification, that is, past design limits or beyond the margin of safety.

Question 25

Define - Functional configuration audit

Answer 25

An evaluation to ensure that the product meets baseline functional and performance capabilities.

Question 26

Define - Human factors

Answer 26

The systematic application of relevant information about human abilities, characteristics, behavior, motivation, and performance.

Question 27

Define - Human systems integration

Answer 27

The interdisciplinary technical and management processes for integrating human considerations within and across all system elements; an essential enabler to SE practice.

Question 28

Define - Interface

Answer 28

A shared boundary between two functional units, define by functional characteristics, common physical interconnection characteristics, signal characteristics, or other characteristics, as appropriate.

Question 29

Define - Integration definition for functional modeling (IDEF)

Answer 29

A family of modeling languages in the fields of systems and software engineering that provide a multiple-page (view) model of a system that depicts functions. Boxes illustrate functions and arrows illustrate information and product flow.

Question 30

Define - IPO diagram

Answer 30

Figures that provide a high-level view of the process of interest. The diagram summarizes the process activities and their inputs and outputs from/to external actors; some inputs are categorized as controls/enablers.

Question 31

Define - Life cycle cost (LCC)

Answer 31

The total cost of acquisition and ownership of a system over its entire life. It includes all cost associated with the system and its use during the life cycle.

Question 32

Define - Life cycle model

Answer 32

A framework of processes and activities concerned with the life cycle, which also acts as a common reference for communication and understanding.

Question 33

Define - Measures of effectiveness (MOE)

Answer 33

Measures that define the information needs of the decision makers with respect to the system effectiveness to meet operational expectations.

Question 34

Define - Measure of performance (MOP)

Answer 34

Measures that define the key performance characteristics the system should have when fielded and operated in its intended operating environment.

Question 35

Define: N^2 diagrams

Answer 35

Graphical representation used to define the internal relationships or external interfaces of the SOI

Question 36

Define: Operator

Answer 36

An individual who, or an organization that, contributes to the functionality of a system and draws on knowledge, skills, and procedures to contribute the function

Question 37

Define: Organization

Answer 37

Person or group of people and facilities with an arrangement of responsibilities, authorities, and relationships.

Question 38

Define: Performance

Answer 38

A quantitative measure characterizing a physical or functional attribute relating to the execution of a process, function, activity, or task including quantity, quality, timeliness, and readiness.

Question 39

Define: Physical configuration audit

Answer 39

An evaluation to ensure that the operational system or product conforms to the operational and configuration documentation

Question 40

Define: Process

Answer 40

A set of interrelated or interacting activities that transforms inputs into outputs.

Question 41

Define: Product line

Answer 41

1. Group of products or services sharing a common, managed set of features that satisfy specific needs of a selected market or mission. 2. A collection of systems that are potentially derivable from a single domain architecture.

Question 42

Define: Product line scoping

Answer 42

Define the products that will constitute the product line and the major (externally visible) common and variable features among the products, analyzes the products from an economic point of view, and controls and schedules the development, production, and marketing of the product line and its products.

Question 43

Define: Project

Answer 43

An endeavor with defined start and finish criteria undertaken to create a product or service in accordance with specified resources and requirements.

Question 44

Define: Proof of concept

Answer 44

A naive realization of an idea or technology to demonstrate its feasibility

Question 45

Define: Prototype

Answer 45

A production-ready demonstration model developed under engineering supervision that is specification compliant and represents what manufacturing should replicate.

Question 46

Define: Qualification limit

Answer 46

Proving that the design will survive in its intended environment within margin.

Question 47

Define: Requirement

Answer 47

A statement that identifies a system, product, or process characteristic or constraint, which is unambiguous, clear, unique, consistent, stand-alone (not grouped), and verifiable, and is deemed necessary for stakeholder acceptability.

Question 48

Define: Resource

Answer 48

An asset that is utilized or consumed during the execution of a process

Question 49

Define: Return on investment

Answer 49

Ratio of revenue from output (product or service) to development and production costs, which determines whether an organization benefits from performing an action to produce something.

Question 50

Define: Reuse

Answer 50

1. The use of an asset in the solution of different problems 2. Building a software system at least partly from existing pieces to perform a new application

Question 51

Define: Specialty engineering

Answer 51

Analysis of specific features of a system that requires special skills to identify requirements and assess their impact on the system life cycle

Question 52

Define: Stage

Answer 52

A period within the life cycle of an entity that relates to the state of its description or realization

Question 53

Define: Stakeholder

Answer 53

A party having a right, share, or claim in a system or in its possession of characteristics that meet that party's needs or expectations.

Question 54

Define: Supplier

Answer 54

An organization or an individual that enters into an agreement with the acquirer for the supply of a product or service.

Question 55

Define: System

Answer 55

An integrated set of elements, subsystems, or assemblies that accomplish a define objective.

Question 56

Define: System element

Answer 56

Member of a set of elements that constitutes a system

Question 57

Define: System life cycle

Answer 57

The evolution with time of a SOI from conception to retirement

Question 58

Define: System of interest

Answer 58

The system whose life cycle is under consideration

Question 59

Define: System of systems

Answer 59

A SOI whose system elements are themselves systems; typically, these entail large-scale interdisciplinary problems with multiple, heterogeneous distributed systems.

Question 60

Define: Systems Engineering

Answer 60

An interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems. SE considers both the business and the technical needs of all customers with the goal of providing a quality product that meets the user needs.

Question 61

Define: Systems engineering effort

Answer 61

Integrating multiple disciplines and specialty groups into a set of activities that proceed from concept to production and to operation.

Question 62

Define: Systems engineering management plan (SEMP)

Answer 62

Structured information describing how the systems engineering effort, in the form of tailored processes and activities, for one or more life cycle stages, will be managed and conducted in the organization for the actual project.

Question 63

Define: Tailoring

Answer 63

The manner in which any selected issue is addressed in a particular project. May be applied to various aspects of the project.

Question 64

Define: Technical performance measures

Answer 64

Measures that define attributes of a system element to determine how well a system or system element is satisfying or expected to satisfy a technical requirement or goal.

Question 65

Define: Trade-off

Answer 65

Decision making actions that select from various requirements and alternative solutions on the basis of net benefit to the stakeholders.

Question 66

Define: User

Answer 66

Individual who or group that benefits from a system during its utilization

Question 67

Define: Validation

Answer 67

Confirmation, through the provision of objective evidence, that the requirements for a specific intended use or application have been fulfilled.

Question 68

Define: Value

Answer 68

A measure of worth (benefit divided by cost) of a specific product or service by a customer.

Question 69

Define: Variability

Answer 69

Of a product line refers to characteristics that may differ among members of the product line.

Question 70

Define: Variability constraints

Answer 70

Denotes constraint relationships between a variant and a variation point, between two variants, and between two variation points.

Question 71

Define: Verification

Answer 71

Confirmation, through the provision of objective evidence, that specified requirements have been fulfilled.

Question 72

Define: Waste

Answer 72

Work that adds no value to the product or service in the eyes of the customer.