Project Performance International

Overview

This short course provides an overview of the principles and methods known as systems engineering: an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to the engineering of solutions, adopted by leading enterprises worldwide, which aims to capture stakeholder needs, objectives and values, and to transform this problem definition into a holistic, life-cycle balanced system solution which both satisfies the imperatives, and optimizes overall project and solution effectiveness according to the values of the stakeholders.

The course is oriented in delivery towards the client’s applications, with examples drawn from the client’s sector, where possible. Ample opportunity is provided for discussion with, and between, participants on issues directly relevant to the client, from the introduction of principles, and a principles workshop, on day 1, through the implementation detail of days 2 and 3.

This course is intended for those who seek a knowledge of systems engineering, without themselves practicing systems engineering. As such, the course will appeal to people who participate in technical projects in non-engineering roles, or in engineering support roles.

Our 5-day Systems Engineering for Technology-Based Projects and Product Developments course is recommended for anybody who will perform or manage significant engineering roles, whether or not under the label “systems engineering”. This longer course  aims to instill significant understanding, together with methods at a level of familiarity from which skill can be developed through application of the methods in the workplace.

Course Outline

0. WHY SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

1. THE SYSTEM LIFE CYCLE AND SOLUTION DEVELOPMENT

• defining the problem domain
  • information, relationships and artefacts of problem definition
• the solution domain: key concepts, relationships, and work products
  • problem versus solution
  • architectural/conceptual/preliminary versus detail
  • “our” problem versus “their” problem
  • architectural/conceptual/preliminary versus detail
  • scalability and recursion
  • complexity
  • top down, bottom up, “in-between”
• technical reviews – requirements, design
• classes of stakeholders
• configuration items and baselines
• why a lifecycle view – need to disposal?
• waterfall, incremental, evolutionary and spiral developments
• summary of key points

2. PRINCIPLES, CONCEPTS AND ELEMENTS

• workshop - SE principles
• some more systems concepts
• SE process model and elements
• verification and validation related to the “V” model, the “Wedge Model™”
• work product attributes
  • requirements traceability
  • design traceability
  • verification traceability
• SE and SE-related standards
• relationship of SE to other engineering disciplines
• relationship of SE to ISO9001, Six Sigma, Value Engineering
• relationship of SE to project management, quality management, operations
• summary of key points

3. REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS – CAPTURE AND VALIDATION

• types of requirements
• RA methodology
• workshop - context analysis
• workshop – design requirements analysis
• workshop - parsing analysis
• software tools supporting requirements management and requirements analysis
• summary of key points

4. PHYSICAL SOLUTION DEFINITION PART A

• technology and innovation in solution development
• generic influences in defining configuration items

5. LOGICAL SOLUTION DEFINITION

• types of logical representation
• functional analysis in design – how to do it
• functional design/architecture process
• workshop – a simple physical/functional design
• performance threads
• behaviour modelling, UML, SysML, DODAF
• software tools supporting logical and physical design

6. PHYSICAL SOLUTION DEFINITION PART B

• what next? – FMECA, FTA, ETA, ORA, …..
• object-oriented design
• interface engineering, common interfacing pitfalls
• summary of key points

7. EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION, DECISION & SOLUTION OPTIMIZATION

• approaches: AHP, MAUT, QFD
• workshop – developing a system effectiveness model
• workshop – performing a trade-off study
• multiple stakeholders, multiple uses, event-based uncertainty
• solution optimisation
• handling conflict of interest between acquirer and supplier
• software tools supporting effectiveness evaluation and decision

8. REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICATION WRITING

• the ten requirement specification types and their uses
• public domain specification standards – the good, the bad, and the ugly
• specification structure principles

9. SYSTEM INTEGRATION

• integration planning
• integration
• integration testing
• design interaction with hardware and software production
• configuration audits related to system integration – RSA (FCA), BS/BS Correspondence (PCA)
• qualification
• summary of key points

10. VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION

• technical reviews
  • requirements reviews
  • principles of design review
  • architectural design review (ADR - PDR)
  • detail design review (DDR - CDR)
  • requirements satisfaction audits (FCAs)
  • design description (BS-BS) audits (PCAs)
  • technical reviews and incremental builds
  • administration of technical reviews
• technical performance measurement
• test and evaluation
• other verification and validation methods and tools
• summary of key points

11. ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

• planning the engineering
• integrating engineering specialties
• engineering team structure
• management frameworks – Specification Tree, Project Breakdown Structure (PBS – WBS)
• managing configuration
• managing interfaces
• managing residual risk
• summary of key points

12. SUMMARY

• key points revisited
• tailoring of SE methods to specific activities or projects
• getting the most out of systems engineering methods
• process improvement: using CMMs™ and other benchmarks

About the Presenters

Mr. Clive Tudge CEng, MIET

Clive Tudge is a professional Chartered Engineer with considerable national and international experience in senior project management and engineering management positions in both industry and government.

He has worked with many government agencies and industrial companies including Queensland Rail, Brisbane City Council, QANTAS, Ansett Technologies and the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), bringing projects to a successful conclusion.

View full Clive Tudge Biography.

Mr. Robert Halligan, FIE Aust.

An executive professional manager and engineering practitioner, Mr Halligan is known worldwide for his role in the practice and improvement of major projects. His work was initially with government and major transnational companies. For the last 24 years, he has worked in a consulting and training capacity, delivering an extensive training program on six continents.

View full Robert Halligan Biography

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