Lecture 1-INSE6400

Question 1

A system is a collection of different elements that works
together to produce a greater results than each element could
obtain

Answer 1

Example of a system is a company which is made of elements such as Hardware, people, software, documents, policies, departments etc.

Question 2

Functional View of System: Input, Process and Output.

Answer 2

Input: addition of material, energy, or information to a system
Process: Altering material, energy, or information
Output: movement of matter, energy, or information out of a system

Question 3

General Definition of System Engineering:

Answer 3

the application of science, math, and business to meet
customer’s needs through the entire system lifecycle

Question 4

Definition of Systems Engineering (INCOSE): An interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems.

Answer 4

stakeholder needs;
 exploring opportunities;
 documenting requirements; and
 synthesizing, verifying, validating, and
 evolving solutions while considering the complete problem, from system concept
exploration through system disposal

Question 5

The function of systems engineering

Answer 5

is to guide the engineering of complex systems.

Question 6

Complexity Example: Airplane

Answer 6

Significant complexity between sub-systems, and involving numerous
companies each with their own engineering approaches and business needs

Question 7

Some Examples of System Engineering: What are the inputs and what are the outputs, and what system actually Does.

Answer 7

First Class: Slide 13 and Slide 14

Question 8

System Engineering Heritage (Not important)

Answer 8

Started long before in Mesopotamia. Water Distribution system in 4000BC.

Question 9

Before 1940 Machine Age, After System Age.
Machine Age: 1. Reductionism.
2. Analytic way of thinking (Explain small parts and whole sys is the sum of parts)
3. Mechanism: Cause and Effect, Closed sys thinking (ignore environment etc)
4. Mechanization: Machine subs people.

Answer 9

System Age: 1. Expansionism (Everything is a part of larger sys. Stochastic system view)
2. Synthetic (sys) thinking: Explaining sth and its role as part of whole system. Whole is not sum of parts but more.
3. Technology Oriented: Systems have purpose. Human aspect of org design and management.

Question 10

Roles of System Engineer:
1. ensure that all the aspects of the project or system are taken into the considerations and integrated as a whole.
2. Any engineer acts as a systems engineer when responsible for the design and implementation of a total system. (Total system)

Answer 10

The difference with “traditional engineering” lies primarily in the greater emphasis on defining goals, the creative generation of alternative designs, the evaluation of alternative designs, and the coordination and control of the diverse tasks that are necessary to create a complex system.
2. The role of Systems Engineer is one of the Managers that utilizes a structured value delivery process

Question 11

System Engineering Life Cycle:
Concept Dev, Engineering Dev and Post Dev.

Answer 11

For example: Opportunities and Deficiencies are Concept Dev, Maintaining Operation Docs, Installed operating systems are post Dev.

Question 12

Sys Eng. Process: The major steps in the completion of a typical systems engineering project

Answer 12

1. Problem statement
2. Identification of objectives
3. Generation of alternatives
4. Analysis of these alternatives
5. Selection of one of them
6. Creation of the system
7. Operation.

Question 13

Factors Affecting System Processes:
Internal Factors and External Factors (Some Examples)

Answer 13

Internal Factors: Strategic plan, Top managers, User requests, IT department, Existing system.
External Factors: Technology, Supplier, Customers, Competitors,
The economy, Government

Question 14

IN System Eng Life Cycle> Concept Dev. phase can be broken down 3 Steps.

Answer 14

1. Needs Analysis.
2. Concept Exploration
3. Concept Definition.

Question 15

The feasibility Study comprises of first 2 steps in concept Dev. life cycle

Answer 15

Needs Analysis + Concept Exploration = Feasibility Study

Question 16

Needs Analysis and Concept Exploration may be

Answer 16

System Studies, Tech assessment, Operational analysis.
and Concept Exploration may be: Requirement analysis, concept synthesis and Feasibility experiments.

Question 17

The third step of Concept Development is Concept Definition

Answer 17

Concept Definition: Alternative analysis, Functional and physical Architecture.

Question 18

4 Types of Feasibility Study.

Answer 18

Operational, Technical, Economic and Schedule Feasibility.

Question 19

Operational Feasibility: the proposed system will be operational after the implementation

Answer 19

Managers and Users must support.
Manpower reduction or increase, training needed or not, any adverse affect are key factors.

Question 20

Technical Feasibility: technical resources needed to develop, purchase, install, or operate the system

Answer 20

Factors that should be considered:
Company has technical resourse or not, technical expertise needed or not, technical reliability, can meet future growth with this technical establishment or not.

Question 21

Economic Feasibility: Future benefits outweigh Costs

Question 22

Schedule Flexibility: a project can be implemented in an acceptable time.

Answer 22

Factors affecting Schedule Flexibility.
Risk vs Schedule.
what condition must be satisfied during the development of the system.

Question 23

Needs a Problem Statement in Feasibility Study.