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The construction of complex systems can be a challenging endeavor, potentially facing a range of technical challenges - the specification of complex information, capturing and evolving intricate ideas, synchronizing multiple implementation disciplines and mastering key technologies. To be valuable the system must deliver key capabilities within required performance parameters. In many contexts there are additional pressures from competitive markets, constrained resources and timeframes. It is not easy to be successful, and many organizations are not.
While success in systems engineering is often considered in terms of technical results like system capabilities and performance, ultimately the business results indicate true systems engineering effectiveness:
- System and component quality
- Time to market
- Repeatability and manageability of the engineering process
- Engineering organization productivity
The effective use of modeling in systems engineering can deliver substantial improvements in business results, resulting in systems that are better/faster/cheaper. The first step on the path to effective modeling in systems engineering is to master the Fundamentals of Systems Modeling.
There are several terms that are needed to be defined so a shared understanding of Systems Modeling can be maintained:
- System: A set of components engineered/constructed and/or integrated, and delivered as a whole to deliver a specific set of user benefits.
- System Component: A discrete, homogeneous part of a system, typically developed in some degree of isolation from the rest of the system. This includes physical subsystems, logical components, and other separable elements.
- Systems Engineering: The engineering discipline for creating complex systems through their description, specification and architecture, and the coordination of the multidisciplinary development activities required for system component development/acquisition, integration and delivery.
- Drawing: An image showing a related set of technical concepts
- Model: A related set of abstractions, adhering to specific (predefined) semantics, where diagrams present views of this information.
- Systems Modeling: The disciplined construction of a model that serves as a central repository for the majority of systems engineering information for the system. This approach leverages multiple views into the model, aggregating information from a range of forms and sources, and leverages automation and standards to propagate this information as needed.
Organization of Systems Modeling Information
SysML provides graphical representations and a standardized language for the communication of the system's primitives. SysML semantics can express abstractions in the realms of hardware, facilities, software, information, procedures and personnel.
For a more in-depth discussion on the Systems Modeling fundamentals, please download our whitepaper
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