Systems Systems Engineering Engineering

A Management A Management PerspectivePerspective

Goddard Space Flight CenterGoddard Space Flight Center

Systems Engineering ColloquiumSystems Engineering Colloquium

January 7, 2003January 7, 2003

PointsPoints

• SystemsSystems engineering denotes different things to different engineering denotes different things to different people people

• Systems engineering is critical to mission and Systems engineering is critical to mission and programmatic success programmatic success

• Non-technical factors inhibit the growth of a robust Non-technical factors inhibit the growth of a robust systems engineering capability systems engineering capability

• Continuously Improving the Center’s systems Continuously Improving the Center’s systems engineering capability is a challenging and important engineering capability is a challenging and important task for the Goddard Teamtask for the Goddard Team

Systems EngineeringSystems Engineering

Source: Encarta EncyclopediaSource: Encarta Encyclopedia

1.Systems Engineering1.Systems Engineering

“ “Systems Engineering, an approach to engineering Systems Engineering, an approach to engineering that emphasizes the scientific method and examination that emphasizes the scientific method and examination of of all aspectsall aspects of the engineering project” of the engineering project”

Systems Engineering ScopeSystems Engineering Scope

• Mission Design and System Requirements tradesMission Design and System Requirements trades

• System Design and Analysis System Design and Analysis

• System and Operations Development Technical System and Operations Development Technical ManagementManagement

System Engineering System Engineering ProductProduct

Ensuring within an acceptable risk level Ensuring within an acceptable risk level the delivery of a cost and technically the delivery of a cost and technically effective system to meet an objectiveeffective system to meet an objective

Systems Engineering is Systems Engineering is Critical to Mission and Critical to Mission and Programmatic SuccessProgrammatic Success

Mission Design ChoicesMission Design Choices

System Design EvaluationSystem Design Evaluation

System & Operations Development System & Operations Development Technical Management and integration Technical Management and integration

Mission DesignMission DesignRequirements Analysis and Architecture Development Requirements Analysis and Architecture Development

• Understanding of mission & architecture design Understanding of mission & architecture design alternatives alternatives – mission success metricsmission success metrics– relative mission & programmatic risks versus costrelative mission & programmatic risks versus cost

• Enabling technology Enabling technology – options, maturity & risks options, maturity & risks

• Understanding of residual risks at launchUnderstanding of residual risks at launch– stakeholder buy-in at inception stakeholder buy-in at inception

• Stability of requirementsStability of requirements– thorough conceptual studies lead to more robust PDR thorough conceptual studies lead to more robust PDR

Design andDesign and AnalysisAnalysis• Evaluate and ensure design choices meet mission and Evaluate and ensure design choices meet mission and

programmatic requirementsprogrammatic requirements– SystemSystem– ConOpsConOps

• Analyze performance requirements versus design Analyze performance requirements versus design margins margins

• Identify risk retirement profile Identify risk retirement profile

• Identify residual mission and system risks and develop Identify residual mission and system risks and develop mitigation planmitigation plan

TechnicalTechnical ManagementManagement

• Requirements and interface managementRequirements and interface management

• Risk management and retirement trackingRisk management and retirement tracking– technology maturitytechnology maturity– impact of environment changes acceptability of riskimpact of environment changes acceptability of risk

• Test and verification plan and requirements verification Test and verification plan and requirements verification and validation trackingand validation tracking– interface integration and validationinterface integration and validation– illities oversightillities oversight

Non-technical factors inhibit Non-technical factors inhibit growth of a robust systems growth of a robust systems

engineering capability engineering capability • Project staffed versus engineering discipline baseProject staffed versus engineering discipline base

• Prime and/or institutional contractsPrime and/or institutional contracts

• Systems engineer as the technical leader versus processorSystems engineer as the technical leader versus processor

• Flight and ground versus system organization & contract Flight and ground versus system organization & contract structuresstructures

• Center capability or Project unique investment Center capability or Project unique investment

• Funded via overhead or Program/Project TaxFunded via overhead or Program/Project Tax

• Investment in Civil Servants versus Contractor Investment in Civil Servants versus Contractor

• Without a good systems engineering process the system Without a good systems engineering process the system architecture and design tends to reflect the organizationarchitecture and design tends to reflect the organization

ChallengesChallenges

• Attracting and developing systems engineersAttracting and developing systems engineers

• Establishing Institutional systems engineering capability Establishing Institutional systems engineering capability funding mechanismsfunding mechanisms

• Managing the right balance of investments in institutional Managing the right balance of investments in institutional and project developed systems engineering capabilitiesand project developed systems engineering capabilities

• Leveraging major Goddard Prime Contractor systems Leveraging major Goddard Prime Contractor systems engineering processes and toolsengineering processes and tools

Improving systems Improving systems engineering capability is engineering capability is

important important Provides Skill Base, Processes and Tools to:Provides Skill Base, Processes and Tools to:

• Maintain and improve systems development process and Maintain and improve systems development process and continue to deliver on the Center’s mission success and continue to deliver on the Center’s mission success and programmatic commitmentsprogrammatic commitments

• Ensure systems engineering discipline in new mission formulation Ensure systems engineering discipline in new mission formulation

• Develop new innovative and cost effective missions and Develop new innovative and cost effective missions and technologytechnology

• Improve both Civil Service and support Contractor capabilities Improve both Civil Service and support Contractor capabilities and residual knowledge baseand residual knowledge base

• Improve the mission design process, requirements management Improve the mission design process, requirements management and resulting Prime contract performanceand resulting Prime contract performance

ClosingClosing

• Systems engineering is critical to mission and Systems engineering is critical to mission and programmatic success and needs to lead the technical programmatic success and needs to lead the technical development processdevelopment process

• Pro active managing of non technical institutional and Pro active managing of non technical institutional and project system engineering obstacles is essential to project system engineering obstacles is essential to developing a robust systems engineering capability developing a robust systems engineering capability

• Continuously Improving the Center’s systems Continuously Improving the Center’s systems engineering capability is a challenging and important engineering capability is a challenging and important task for the Goddard Teamtask for the Goddard Team