Ebook: The System Concept and Its Application to Engineering
Author: Erik W. Aslaksen (auth.)
- Tags: Engineering Design, Complexity, Engineering Economics Organization Logistics Marketing, Innovation/Technology Management
- Year: 2013
- Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
- Edition: 1
- Language: English
- pdf
Systems engineering is a mandatory approach in some industries, and is gaining wider acceptance for complex projects in general. However, under the imperative of delivering these projects on time and within budget, the focus has been mainly on the management aspects, with less attention to improving the core engineering activity – design. This book addresses the application of the system concept to design in several ways: by developing a deeper understanding of the system concept, by defining design and its characteristics within the process of engineering, and by applying the system concept to the early stage of design, where it has the greatest impact.
A central theme of the book is that the purpose of engineering is to be useful in meeting the needs of society, and that therefore the ultimate measure of the benefit of applying the system concept should be the extent to which it advances the achievement of that purpose. Consequently, any consistent, top-down development of the functionality required of a solution to the problem of meeting a defined need must proceed from such a measure, and it is agued that a generalised form of Return on Investment is an appropriate measure. A theoretical framework for the development of functionality based on this measure and utilising the system concept is presented, together with some examples and practical guidelines.
Systems engineering is a mandatory approach in some industries, and is gaining wider acceptance for complex projects in general. However, under the imperative of delivering these projects on time and within budget, the focus has been mainly on the management aspects, with less attention to improving the core engineering activity – design. This book addresses the application of the system concept to design in several ways: by developing a deeper understanding of the system concept, by defining design and its characteristics within the process of engineering, and by applying the system concept to the early stage of design, where it has the greatest impact.
A central theme of the book is that the purpose of engineering is to be useful in meeting the needs of society, and that therefore the ultimate measure of the benefit of applying the system concept should be the extent to which it advances the achievement of that purpose. Consequently, any consistent, top-down development of the functionality required of a solution to the problem of meeting a defined need must proceed from such a measure, and it is agued that a generalised form of Return on Investment is an appropriate measure. A theoretical framework for the development of functionality based on this measure and utilising the system concept is presented, together with some examples and practical guidelines.
Systems engineering is a mandatory approach in some industries, and is gaining wider acceptance for complex projects in general. However, under the imperative of delivering these projects on time and within budget, the focus has been mainly on the management aspects, with less attention to improving the core engineering activity – design. This book addresses the application of the system concept to design in several ways: by developing a deeper understanding of the system concept, by defining design and its characteristics within the process of engineering, and by applying the system concept to the early stage of design, where it has the greatest impact.
A central theme of the book is that the purpose of engineering is to be useful in meeting the needs of society, and that therefore the ultimate measure of the benefit of applying the system concept should be the extent to which it advances the achievement of that purpose. Consequently, any consistent, top-down development of the functionality required of a solution to the problem of meeting a defined need must proceed from such a measure, and it is agued that a generalised form of Return on Investment is an appropriate measure. A theoretical framework for the development of functionality based on this measure and utilising the system concept is presented, together with some examples and practical guidelines.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages 1-13
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Everyday Use and Meaning....Pages 3-10
The Philosophical Context....Pages 11-19
The System Concept within the Philosophical Framework....Pages 21-30
Some Features of the System Concept....Pages 31-52
Applying the System Concept....Pages 53-66
Front Matter....Pages 67-67
A Short History....Pages 69-78
Characteristics of Engineering....Pages 79-106
Usefulness – The Purpose of Engineering....Pages 107-117
Design and Creativeness....Pages 119-133
Requirements Definition [1]....Pages 135-144
Standardisation and the Bottom-Up Design Process....Pages 145-151
Managing the Process of Engineering....Pages 153-159
Front Matter....Pages 161-161
Complexity in the Context of Engineering....Pages 163-175
The Systems Engineering Approach to Handling Complex Engineering Projects....Pages 177-191
Architecting and Functional Analysis....Pages 193-203
The Functional Domain....Pages 205-223
Systems in the Functional Domain....Pages 225-231
Value and Optimisation....Pages 233-259
Back Matter....Pages 0--1
Systems engineering is a mandatory approach in some industries, and is gaining wider acceptance for complex projects in general. However, under the imperative of delivering these projects on time and within budget, the focus has been mainly on the management aspects, with less attention to improving the core engineering activity – design. This book addresses the application of the system concept to design in several ways: by developing a deeper understanding of the system concept, by defining design and its characteristics within the process of engineering, and by applying the system concept to the early stage of design, where it has the greatest impact.
A central theme of the book is that the purpose of engineering is to be useful in meeting the needs of society, and that therefore the ultimate measure of the benefit of applying the system concept should be the extent to which it advances the achievement of that purpose. Consequently, any consistent, top-down development of the functionality required of a solution to the problem of meeting a defined need must proceed from such a measure, and it is agued that a generalised form of Return on Investment is an appropriate measure. A theoretical framework for the development of functionality based on this measure and utilising the system concept is presented, together with some examples and practical guidelines.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages 1-13
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Everyday Use and Meaning....Pages 3-10
The Philosophical Context....Pages 11-19
The System Concept within the Philosophical Framework....Pages 21-30
Some Features of the System Concept....Pages 31-52
Applying the System Concept....Pages 53-66
Front Matter....Pages 67-67
A Short History....Pages 69-78
Characteristics of Engineering....Pages 79-106
Usefulness – The Purpose of Engineering....Pages 107-117
Design and Creativeness....Pages 119-133
Requirements Definition [1]....Pages 135-144
Standardisation and the Bottom-Up Design Process....Pages 145-151
Managing the Process of Engineering....Pages 153-159
Front Matter....Pages 161-161
Complexity in the Context of Engineering....Pages 163-175
The Systems Engineering Approach to Handling Complex Engineering Projects....Pages 177-191
Architecting and Functional Analysis....Pages 193-203
The Functional Domain....Pages 205-223
Systems in the Functional Domain....Pages 225-231
Value and Optimisation....Pages 233-259
Back Matter....Pages 0--1
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