TABLE 1.1 Definitions of Systems Engineering
Source Definitions of Systems Engineering
Mil-Std 499A,
1974
The application of scientific and engineering efforts to:
(1) transform an operational need into a description of system
performance parameters and a system configuration through the
use of an iterative process of definition, synthesis, analysis,
design, test, and evaluation; (2) integrate related technical
parameters and ensure compatibility of all related, functional,
and program interfaces in a manner that optimizes the total
system definition and design; (3) integrate reliability,
maintainability, safety, survivability, human, and other such
factors into the total technical engineering effort to meet cost,
schedule, and technical performance objectives.
Sailor, 1990 Both a technical and management process; the technical process is
the analytical effort necessary to transform an operational need
into a system design of the proper size and configuration and to
document requirements in specifications; the management
process involves assessing the risk and cost, integrating the
engineering specialties and design groups, maintaining
configuration control, and continuously auditing the effort to
ensure that cost, schedule, and technical performance objectives
are satisfied to meet the original operational need.
Sage, 1992 The design, production, and maintenance of trustworthy systems
within cost and time constraints.
Forsberg & Mooz,
1992
The application of the system analysis and design process and the
integration and verification process to the logical sequence of the
technical aspect of the project life cycle.
Wymore, 1993 The intellectual, academic, and professional discipline the primary
concern of which is the responsibility to ensure that all
requirements for a bioware/hardware/software system are
satisfied throughout the life cycle of the system.
Mil-Std 499B
draft, 1993
An interdisciplinary approach encompassing the entire technical
effort to evolve and verify an integrated and life-cycle balanced
set of system people, product, and process solutions that satisfy
customer needs. Systems engineering encompasses: (a) the
technical efforts related to the development, manufacturing,
verification, deployment, operations, support, disposal of, and
user training for system products and processes; (b) the
definition and management of the system configuration; (c) the
translation of the system definition into work breakdown
structures; and (d) development of information for management
decision making.
INCOSE
a
, 1996 An interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization
of successful systems.
a
INCOSE is the International Council on Systems Engineering, a professional society of systems
engineers. INCOSE’s definition of a system is an interacting combination of elements, viewed in
relation to function.
1.2 OVERVIEW OF THE ENGINEERING OF SYSTEMS 9