Ebook: Systems Engineering Practice

This book provides a basic but complete coverage of the management of complex technical projects and, in particular, of the discipline known as systems engineering . The framework offered encapsulates the entire systems engineering discipline, clearly showing where the multitude of activities fits within the overall effort. The book takes a top-down approach that introduces the philosophical aspects of the discipline and provides a framework within which the reader can assimilate the associated activities. Without such a reference, the practitioner is left to ponder the plethora of terms, standards and practices that have been developed independently and often lack cohesion, particularly in nomenclature and emphasis. The field of systems engineering is often viewed as dry, detailed, complicated, acronym-intensive and uninteresting. Yet, the discipline holds the solution to delivering complex systems on time and within budget, and avoiding many of the failures of the past. The intention of this book is both to cover all aspects of the discipline and to provide a framework for the consideration of the many issues associated with engineering complex systems. The authors describe a complex field in a simple, easily digested manner that is accessible to a wide spectrum of readers, from students to professionals, from novices to experienced practitioners. The book is a valuable reference for all professions associated with the management of complex technical projects: project managers, systems engineers, quality assurance representatives, integrated logistic support practitioners, and maintainers. In line with the top-down approach of systems engineering, the focus is on the early stages of the system life cycle since the activities in these stages have the greatest impact on the successful acquisition and fielding of a system.