Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary approach that focuses on understanding stakeholder needs, exploring opportunities to meet those needs, and synthesizing and evolving solutions while considering the complete problem from concept to disposal. It deals with complexity by taking a holistic view. The Apollo program is an example of successful systems engineering, landing 12 astronauts on the moon and returning 382kg of lunar samples to Earth between 1969-1972. Systems engineering standards and documents provide guidance on structuring principles, life cycle processes, and architecture descriptions.

1. Systems Engineering Thinking
Anatoly Levenchuk
SkoltechOn
23-oct-2015

2. Systems Engineering: dealing with complexity.
2
Systems Engineering (SE) is an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the
realization of successful systems. It focuses on holistically and concurrently
understanding stakeholder needs; exploring opportunities; documenting
requirements; and synthesizing, verifying, validating, and evolving solutions while
considering the complete problem, from system concept exploration through
system disposal.
http://sebokwiki.org/wiki/Systems_Engineering_%28glossary%29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program
Apollo landings (1969-1972)
Apollo Program
• 24 astronauts orbited Moon
• 12 astronauts walked on Moon
• 382kg of lunar soil and rocks
returned to Earth

3. How to make such people?
Hunting and gathering Settled farming

4. Notion of a System
• Holarchy (hierarchy with wholeness and emergence)
• Definition (modeling) vs realization (4D Individ)
• Functional vs constructional perspectives, and
plurality of other perspectives
• System subjectivity (System Approach 2.0):
– Stakeholders/roles and performers/actors.
– Enable system perspectives: life cycle vs
project/process/case perspectives, and plurality of other
perspectives
– System of Systems notion on the base of system
ownership
4

5. System approach
in systems engineering standards and public documents
• BKCASE, Body of Knowledge and Curriculum to Advance Systems
Engineering (2015), http://www.bkcase.org/
• IEC 81346 (2009), Industrial systems, installations and equipment and
industrial products -- Structuring principles and reference designations --
Part 1: Basic rules
• ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 (2015) Systems and software engineering - System life
cycle processes,
• ISO 15926-2 (2003), Industrial automation systems and integration --
Integration of life-cycle data for process plants including oil and gas
production facilities -- Part 2: Data model.
• ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010 (2011), Systems and software engineering -
Architecture description,
• OMG Essence (2014) – Kernel and Language for Software Engineering
Methods, specification http://www.omg.org/spec/Essence/Current
5

6. System in the eyes of the beholders (stakeholders).
Theatre metaphor
Stakeholder is role vs. actor/performer, office/position, rank
System approach 2.0, based on human action

7. Holon
part-whole relationship
7
System of interest
(using system)
(system in operation environment)
(subsystem)
Subsystem
(System of interest)
(Using system)
(system in operation
environment)
Using system
(system-of-interest)
(system in operation environment)
(subsystem)
Enable system

8. System of Systems
conditional part-whole relationship
Enable system

9. Holarhy
zoom – select
Leidraadse (2008), Guideline Systems Engineering for Public Works and Water Management, 2nd edition, http://www.leidraadse.nl/

10. There are 4 systems here:
System of
interest
Requirements
System of
interest
Constraints
(Architecture)
Using system
Stakeholder needs
10
1 2
4
Enabling system
System in
operation
environment
3

11. Interdisciplinary Plurality
(on one system level, even without holarchy)
On base of Fig.3
ISO 81346-1
-Module
=Component
+Location
All specialties
• Mechanics
• Cinematics
• Electrics
• Electronics
• Control software
• Fluid dynamics
• Strength
• Temperature
• Noise
• Vibration
• …
All life cycle stages
• Inception
• Design
• Construction,
manufacturing
• Operation
• Maintenance
• Modernization
• Retirement
PLM/ALM, ERP, EAM
• Product model
• Project model
11

12. System definition and system description
ISO 42010 + OMG Essence
12

13. Basic system structures
ISO 81346
• =Components
• -Modules
• +Locations
• Multiple variants of representations of each system aspect.
• This is only basic system aspects, there are multiple other
system structure types!
• Rare completely separated. Usually presented in hybrid form.
13

14. Component diagrams (principal schemas)
14

15. Module diagram examples (1)
15
FR160B PCB 2-Layer
USB Portable Power
Module -- - Green (3.5
x 2.6 x 1.5cm)
Model FR160B
Quantity 1
Color Green
Material PCB
Features
Input: 5V/800mA;
Output: 5V/1A; LED
lightening; With
protection board on
COB; Output current
limited protection
Application Great for DIY project
Other
ON (Press button) / OFF
(Automatically)
Packing List 1 x Module

16. Module diagram examples (2)
Intellect stack
1. Application
2. Cognitive architecture
3. Learning algorithm
4. Numerical libraries and
frameworks
5. Scientific computing
programming language
6. Hardware acceleration of
computations
16
http://www.slideshare.net/Techtsunami/cn-prt-iot-v1
http://www.w3.org/2001/12/semweb-fin/w3csw
http://ailev.livejournal.com/1210678.html
Semantic web stack
Networking Layer Comparison

17. Hybrid diagrams
• There are few ontology engineers, you should not expect too much
formalism.
• Most of system descriptions are hybrid (with components and
modules are mixed).
• Terminology can differ (e.g. “component” can be “functional
element” and even “module”).
17

18. Logical and physical architectures matching
ISO 81346-1
Figure 7
18
Logical architecture
(component structure,
functional decomposition)
iteratively match with
physical architecture (module
structure, work product
decomposition).

19. Multiscale * beyond life cycle
<<< Inception Architecture Non-
architecture
part of design
Manufacturing Operation>>>
Using
system
IT-1 IT-2 IT-3 IT-4 IT-5
Macro IT1 IT2 IT3 IT4 IT5
Meso IT6 IT7 IT8 IT9 IT10
Micro IT11 IT12 IT13 IT14 IT15
Nano IT16 IT17 IT18 IT19 IT20
Specialization/professionalization in each cell, plus expansion to neighbors
Integration at a product level: overall table (enabling eco-system!)
CAD/CAM/codes/PLM/CAE/ERP/EAM/… need to be/will be integrated!
Substance (system) levels * realization (life cycle) levels
19

20. Practice = discipline + technology
Disciplined (competent in domain) performers
Supported with needed for a discipline tools and work products.
20
Components/alpha – how it is working
Modules/work products – how it makeable

21. Domain and endeavor
• Domain/discipline = thinking (operations with abstract typed
objects). Changing every 30 years. Studied in schools and
universities.
• Technologies/way of working = tools and work products
(thinking with an exocortex). Changing in every 5 years. Trained
in workplace.
• Link between discipline and technology, discipline and real life
should be trained with a help of a teacher.
21
There is no one word from
a textbook in real life
There is no one work from
real life in a textbook
=Components,
functional elements,
Alphas
=Modules,
constructive elements,
work products

22. Project Essence Diagram
22
Engineering
management
Engineering
Technology
management
Using system
Technology management
and entrepreneurship
System of interest
Enabling system

23. 23
System life cycle practices drive alphas
http://arxiv.org/abs/1502.00121
Systems Engineering Essence

24. V-diagram (OMG Essence for systems engineering)
24http://arxiv.org/abs/1502.00121

25. Project components/alphas: state changes
25
Systems Engineer
CTO Project manager
Time, resources, works
System
definition and
realization
Practice =
discipline +
technology
System of interest
Using system (influence)
Enabling system (way of working)
Enabling system (endeavor)

26. System and project life cycle (OMG Essence for systems engineering)
26
satisfied in use
represented
recognized
benefit accrued
Solution needed
viable
identified
used for
retirement
consisted
used for
operation
conceived
retired
parts
demonstrable
operational
closed
prepared
under control
concluded
initiated
formed
collaborating
seeded
foundation
established
in place
working well
principle
established
stakeholders opportunity
system
definition
system
realization
work team
way of
working
inception
development
deployment
испытания
manufacturing
retiredadjourned
ready
used for
verification
involved
satisfied for
deployment adressed
started
performingused for
production
raw materialsIn agreement
in usevalue
established
http://arxiv.org/abs/1502.00121

27. 27
Thank you!
Anatoly Levenchuk,
TechInvestLab, president
INCOSE Russian chapter, research director
http://ailev.ru
ailev@asmp.msk.su