Systems Engineering

ENG3169 - ENGINEERING
MANAGEMENT

Political

Societal

Emerging Technologies

Competitors

Quality Management

Lecture 4

Organisational
Structure

External

- Requirements Definition
- Technical Solution Definition

Technical Management
- Planning/Control
- Technical Decision Analysis

Systems Integration
- Product Realisation
- Evaluation/Verification

Initial technical management activities

(alongside/part of detailed planning):

Understand the need

Identify/evaluate possible options

User needs translated into agreed solution

Management
Accounting

Project Planning
And Control

Management
Decision
Analysis

Financial Evaluation

Procurement &
Contract Management
IPR & Patents

Sales

Addresses need (challenging, conflicting)

User, customer (multiple stakeholders)

Deliver a system (some complex solution)

Company
Financing

Customer
Resource Management
Interface
Task Definition
Cost Management
WBS
Schedule Planning
Risk

Marketing

Generic engineering project:

Industrial Legislation

Project

System Design

Systems Engineering

Shareholders

Company Law

Organisation

Systems Engineering

John Doherty (12 AB 02)

john.doherty@surrey.ac.uk

Economy

Suppliers

HR/Personnel

User Requirements
Top-level user requirement states what
the user needs

Example: A system for cooling an office

Begins to detail what required system

must do

The function of the designed system is to cool
an office

The (physical) form that the final designed

system will take is not prescribed

More of an art than an exact science?

Requirements Analysis
Detailed requirements usually lacking at
start of a project

Customer default: low-cost, fit-for-purpose

User: performance

Trade-off performance and cost

Requirements analysis evolve/expand

original user requirements

Further default requirements/information

E.g. context for use, legal regulations, safety
requirements, technology maturity etc.

Functional Focus
Focus on what has to be achieved, not how
Functional characteristics of system
independently of the physical form
Functional characteristics directly from
user needs
Map user needs to function, then to form

More solutions can be systematically explored

More solutions = innovation more likely

Requirements Analysis
A system for cooling an office
office = occupied by people
Cool the air (not the office furnishings!)
Force recirculation of air?
cooling = define as maintaining
temperature at 24oC maximum?
Need ability for users to control system?
Need ability to measure temperature of
air?
System needs to control itself?

Function verses Form

Function
What system needs to do
Operations that contribute to system
performance
The action justifying why something exists
Form
The structure or shape of something
The subsystems, assemblies, components,
parts or elements which implement/deliver a
products function

Function Definition

Functional decomposition

A function refers to an action upon

something
A function will be stated in the form of a
verb acting on a noun
Examples:

System requirements represented as

hierarchical functional diagram
Top-level functions decomposed into simpler,
low-level, related functions

Clear relationship from high to low level functions

Can decompose perhaps 1-2 levels before

specific solution choices become necessary
Decomposition will not be unique
Decomposed functions interact with one
another

Cools air

Detects temperature

Switches off system

Extent of interaction emphasises complexity

Example Functional
Decomposition

Physical Decomposition

System Cools
Office

Circulates cool
air

Provides user
control

Provides
automated
control

Provides on
switch

Monitors office
temperature

Sucks in air

Provides off
switch

Maintains
maximum office
temperature

Blows out air

Provides
temperature
control

Cools air

Satisfies safety
regulations

Prevents
electrocution

Design Synthesis focuses on identifying

and comparing possible design solutions

Which can achieve functional requirements?

Which is best solution (project specific)?

Each design solution is now defined by its

form (Physical Decomposition)

The subsystems, assemblies, components,
parts or elements which implement/deliver a
products function

Example Physical
Decomposition

Systems Engineering
Process Example

Office Cooling
System

Container
subsystem

Air Inlet

Forced cooling
subsystem

Cooling
assembly

Control
subsystem

Power supply
subsystem

Fan assembly

On/off switch

Wiring

Electrical
earthing

Air Exit

Compressor

Motor

Temperature
selector

System
housing

Condensor

Fan

Temperature
sensor

Top-level user requirements

Requirements Analysis
Functional Decomposition
Design Synthesis
Physical Decomposition

Verify Physical Architecture meets System

Requirements

Physical to Functional Mapping

Controller

Example Physical to
Functional Mapping

Requirements analysis and

initial system design

Functional Decomposition

Cools air

Sucks in air

Blows out air

X
X

This leads to Physical Decomposition

Verify Physical Architecture meets System
Requirements

Monitors office temperature

X
X

Link Physical and Functional Decompositions

X
X

Identify System Requirements

What system must do and how well it must perform

Identify possible design solutions (Physical

Architecture)

Electrical earthing

Provides temperature control

Top-down process starting from top-level

user requirements
Requirements Analysis
This leads to Functional Decomposition
Design Synthesis

Provides off switch

Wiring

X
X

Maintains maximum office

temperature

Controller

Provides on switch

Prevents electrocution

Temperature
sensor

Temperature
selector

On/off switch

Fan

Motor

Condenser

Compressor

System housing

Air exit

Air inlet

Physical Decomposition

There should be no
physical components
having no functional
link