Difference between revisions of "System Concept Definition"

Latest revision as of 22:36, 2 May 2024

Lead Author: Tami Katz Contributing Authors: Lou Wheatcraft, Mike Ryan, Garry Roedler, Rick Adcock

Concept DefinitionConcept Definition is the set of systems engineering (SE) activities in which the problem space as well as the needs and requirements of the business (or enterprise) and stakeholdersstakeholders are closely examined. Concept definition begins before any formal definition of the system-of-interestsystem-of-interest (SoI) is developed.

The Concept Definition activities include Business or Mission Analysis and Stakeholder Needs Definition. Within these two activities the enterprise or project decision makers, as well as additional key stakeholders, describe what a solution should accomplish and why it is needed. Both why and what need to be answered before consideration is given to how the problemproblem will be addressed (i.e., what type of solution will be implemented) and how the solutionsolution will be defined and developed.

Concept Definition Activities

There are two primary activities discussed under Concept Definition: Business or Mission AnalysisBusiness or Mission Analysis and the definition of Stakeholder NeedsStakeholder Needs:

The Business or Mission Analysis activity defines the problem, threatthreat, or opportunityopportunity being addressed which could result in a new or modified product or service. This process also includes identification of major stakeholders, the mission, goals, and objectives of the SoI, the measures of success, identification of business needs and requirements, and identification of the SoI life cycle concepts.
The Stakeholder Needs Definition activity uses the inputs from the Business or Mission Analysis effort to identify an integrated set of needs based on inputs from the major stakeholders, higher-level requirements, and an analysis of the life cycle concepts, drivers, constraints, and risks.

The products and artifacts produced during Concept Definition are then used in the System DefinitionSystem Definition process.

Drivers of Concept Definition

There are many considerations associated with concept definition activities, which are further elaborated below.

The Role of Architecture Development

The activities of Business or Mission Analysis and Stakeholder Needs Definition occur concurrently with the processes of System Architecture Design Definition. The activities to address a full set of needs includes identification of SoI life cycle concepts, external interfaces and constraints, as well as candidate solutions and an exploration of the architecture (logicallogical and functionalfunctional).

Drivers of Solution on Problem Definition

During Concept Definition, the problem definition and solution exploration depend on each other: solutions should be developed to respond appropriately to well-defined problems; and problem definitions should be constrained by what is feasible in the solution space. System analysis is used to provide the links between problems and solutions.

There are two paradigms that drive the ways in which concept definition is done: push and pull. The pull paradigm is based on providing a solution to an identified problem or gap, such as a missing mission capabilitycapability for defense or infrastructure. The push paradigm is based on creating a solution to address a perceived opportunity, such as the emergence of an anticipated product or service that is attractive to some portion of the population (i.e. whether a current market exists or not). This can impact other life cycle processes, such as verification and validation, or alpha/beta testing as done in some commercial domains.

As systems generally integrate existing and new system elements in a mixture of push and pull, it is often best to combine a bottom-up approach with a top-down approach to take into account legacy elements, as well as to identify the services and capabilities that must be provided in order to define applicable interface requirements and constraints. This is discussed in Applying Life Cycle Processes.

New System or Modification of Existing System

The activities of concept definition determine whether the enterprise strategic goals and business needs will be addressed by a new system, a change to an existing system, a service, an operational change, or some other solution.

For a new system, the organization or customer has decided to start with a “blank piece of paper”. This is often referred to as a green-field system, and analysis efforts during concept definition characterize the as-is or present-state of the SoI in terms of the problem, threat, or opportunity and then characterize the to-be or future-state of the SoI in obtaining the resolution of the problem, threat, or opportunity.

An existing system can be evolved or transformed into the desired system. This is often referred to as a brown-field system, and the data that has been established for the original system can be used as inputs into the analysis efforts during concept definition activities. The existing system may have been developed for other purposes, the stakeholder needs or the operational environment may have changed, e.g., a change in threats. The analysis effort will explore the problem space and possible solutions to the gaps of the existing system to address the problem, threat or opportunity.

References

Works Cited

None.

Primary References

INCOSE. 2023. Systems Engineering Handbook: A Guide for System Life Cycle Processes and Activities, version 5.0. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc, ISBN: 978-1-118-99940-0.

INCOSE. 2022. INCOSE Needs and Requirements Manual, version 1.1. INCOSE-TP-2021-002-01.

ISO/IEC/IEEE. 2023. Systems and Software Engineering - System Life Cycle Processes. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023.

Additional References

Hitchins, D. 2007. Systems Engineering: A 21st Century Systems Methodology. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons.

ISO/IEC. 2003. Systems Engineering – A Guide for The Application of ISO/IEC 15288 System Life Cycle Processes.

ISO/IEC. 2007. Systems Engineering – Application and Management of The Systems Engineering Process. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standards (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ISO/IEC 26702:2007.

Jackson, S., D. Hitchins, and H. Eisner. 2010. "What is the Systems Approach?" INCOSE Insight. (April 2010): 41-43.

NASA. 2016. Systems Engineering Handbook. Washington, D.C., USA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA/SP-2016-6105 rev 2.

< Previous Article | Parent Article | Next Article > SEBoK v. 2.10, released 06 May 2024

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
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+----'''''Lead Author:''''' ''Tami Katz'' '''''Contributing Authors:''''' ''Lou Wheatcraft, Mike Ryan, Garry Roedler, Rick Adcock''
-'''''Lead Author:''''' ''Tami Katz'' '''''Contributing Authors:''''' ''Garry Roedler, Rick Adcock, Lou Wheatcraft, Mike Ryan''
+----'''{{Term|Concept Definition (glossary)|Concept Definition}}''' is the set of systems engineering (SE) activities in which the problem space as well as the needs and requirements of the business (or enterprise) and {{Term|Stakeholder (glossary)|stakeholders}} are closely examined. Concept definition begins before any formal definition of the {{Term|System-of-Interest  (glossary)|system-of-interest}} (SoI) is developed.
-'''{{Term|Concept Definition (glossary)}}''' is the set of systems engineering (SE) activities in which the problem space as well as the needs and requirements of the business (or enterprise) and {{Term|Stakeholder (glossary)|stakeholders}} are closely examined. Concept definition begins before any formal definition of the {{Term|System-of-Interest  (glossary)|system-of-interest}} (SoI) is developed.
-The concept definition activities include [[Business or Mission Analysis]] and [[Stakeholder Needs Definition]]. With these two activities the business or enterprise decision makers, as well as additional key stakeholders, describe ''what'' a solution should accomplish and ''why'' it is needed.  Both ''why'' and ''what'' need to be answered before consideration is given to ''how'' the {{term|Problem (glossary)|problem}} will be addressed (i.e., what type of solution will be implemented) and ''how'' the {{term|Solution (glossary)|solution}} will be defined and developed.
-The specific activities and sequence of concept definition activities, their involvement with the lifecycle activities of any system, will be dependent upon the type of {{Term|Life Cycle Model (glossary)|lifecycle model}} being utilized.  See [[Applying Life Cycle Processes]] for further discussion of the concurrent, iterative and recursive nature of these relationships.
-== Topics==
+The Concept Definition activities include [[Business or Mission Analysis]] and [[Stakeholder Needs Definition]]. Within these two activities the enterprise or project decision makers, as well as additional key stakeholders, describe ''what'' a solution should accomplish and ''why'' it is needed. Both ''why'' and ''what'' need to be answered before consideration is given to ''how'' the {{term|Problem (glossary)|problem}} will be addressed (i.e., what type of solution will be implemented) and ''how'' the {{term|Solution (glossary)|solution}} will be defined and developed.
-Each part of the SEBoK is divided into knowledge areas (KAs), which are groupings of information with a related theme. The KAs in turn are divided into topics. This Concept Definition KA contains the following topics:
-*[[Business or Mission Analysis]]
-*[[Stakeholder Needs Definition]]
-See the article [[Matrix of Implementation Examples]] for a mapping of case studies and vignettes included in Part 7 as well as topics covered in Part 3.
 ==Concept Definition Activities==
-There are two primary activities discussed under Concept Definition: {{Term|Mission Analysis (glossary)|Business or Mission Analysis}} and the definition of {{term|Stakeholder Requirement (glossary)|Stakeholder Needs}}:
+There are two primary activities discussed under Concept Definition: {{Term|Mission Analysis (glossary)|Business or Mission Analysis}} and the definition of {{term|Stakeholder Needs and Requirements (glossary)|Stakeholder Needs}}:
-#The [[Business or Mission Analysis]] activity establishes the problem, {{term|Threat (glossary)|threat}} or {{term|Opportunity (glossary)|opportunity}} being addressed which could result in a new or modified product, service or enterprise.  This process also includes identification of major stakeholders, the mission, goals and objectives of the SoI, the measures of success, identification of business needs and requirements, and identification of the SoI lifecycle concepts.
-#The [[Stakeholder Needs Definition]] activity uses the inputs of the Business or Mission Analysis effort to identify an integrated set of needs based on inputs from the major stakeholders, higher-level requirements, and an analysis of the lifecycle concepts, drivers, constraints, and risks.
-The products and artifacts produced during concept definition are then used in the {{Term|System Definition (glossary)}} process, as shown in Figure 1.
-[insert Figure ConcepDef-1 here]
-Figure 1. Concept Definition establishes the purpose and expectations of the SoI, which is used as input the System Definition Process. Original SEBoK figure derived from ISO 15288-2023.
+#The [[Business or Mission Analysis]] activity defines the problem, {{term|Threat (glossary)|threat}}, or {{term|Opportunity (glossary)|opportunity}} being addressed which could result in a new or modified product or service.  This process also includes identification of major stakeholders, the mission, goals, and objectives of the SoI, the measures of success, identification of business needs and requirements, and identification of the SoI life cycle concepts.
+#The [[Stakeholder Needs Definition]] activity uses the inputs from the Business or Mission Analysis effort to identify an integrated set of needs based on inputs from the major stakeholders, higher-level requirements, and an analysis of the life cycle concepts, drivers, constraints, and risks.
+The products and artifacts produced during Concept Definition are then used in the {{Term|System Definition (glossary)|System Definition}} process.
-The SEBoK Part 2 provides guidance on how {{Term|Systems Thinking (glossary)|systems thinking}} is applicable to concept definition efforts, and in [[Identifying and Understanding Problems and Opportunities]].  Additional guidance is also provided in the INCOSE Needs and Requirements Manual.
 ==Drivers of Concept Definition==
 There are many considerations associated with concept definition activities, which are further elaborated below.
-=== The Role of Architecture Development during Concept Definition ===
+=== The Role of Architecture Development ===
-The activities of [[Business or Mission Analysis]] and [[Stakeholder Needs Definition]] occur concurrently with the processes of [[System Architecture Definition]].   The activities to address a full set of needs includes identification of SoI lifecycle concepts, external interfaces and constraints, as well as candidate solutions and an exploration of the {{term|Logical Architecture (glossary)|logical architecture}}.
+The activities of [[Business or Mission Analysis]] and [[Stakeholder Needs Definition]] occur concurrently with the processes of [[System Architecture Design Definition]].   The activities to address a full set of needs includes identification of SoI life cycle concepts, external interfaces and constraints, as well as candidate solutions and an exploration of the architecture ({{term|Logical Architecture (glossary)|logical}} and {{term|Functional Architecture (glossary)|functional}}).
 === Drivers of Solution on Problem Definition ===
-Problem definition and solution design depend on each other: solutions should be developed to respond appropriately to well-defined problems; and problem definitions should be constrained by what is feasible in the solution space. System Analysis activities are used to provide the links between problems and solutions.
+During Concept Definition, the problem definition and solution exploration depend on each other: solutions should be developed to respond appropriately to well-defined problems; and problem definitions should be constrained by what is feasible in the solution space. System analysis is used to provide the links between problems and solutions.
-There are two paradigms that drive the ways in which concept definition is done: push and pull. The pull paradigm is based on providing a solution to an identified problem or gap, such as a missing mission capability for defense or infrastructure. The push paradigm is based on creating a solution to address a perceived opportunity, such as the emergence of an anticipated product or service that is attractive to some portion of the population (i.e. whether a current market exists or not). This can impact other lifecycle processes, such as in verification and validation, or alpha/beta testing as done in some commercial domains.
+There are two paradigms that drive the ways in which concept definition is done: push and pull. The pull paradigm is based on providing a solution to an identified problem or gap, such as a missing mission {{term|Capability (glossary)|capability}} for defense or infrastructure. The push paradigm is based on creating a solution to address a perceived opportunity, such as the emergence of an anticipated product or service that is attractive to some portion of the population (i.e. whether a current market exists or not). This can impact other life cycle processes, such as verification and validation, or alpha/beta testing as done in some commercial domains.
-As systems generally integrate existing and new system elements in a mixture of push and pull, it is often best to combine a bottom-up approach with a top-down approach to take into account legacy elements, as well as to identify the services and capabilities that must be provided in order to define applicable interface requirements and constraints. This is discussed in [[Applying_Life_Cycle_Processes]].
+As systems generally integrate existing and new system elements in a mixture of push and pull, it is often best to combine a bottom-up approach with a top-down approach to take into account legacy elements, as well as to identify the services and capabilities that must be provided in order to define applicable interface requirements and constraints. This is discussed in [[Applying Life Cycle Processes]].
 === New System or Modification of Existing System ===
-The activities of concept definition determine whether the enterprise strategic goals and business needs will be addressed by a new system, a change to an existing system, a service, an operational change or some other solution.
+The activities of concept definition determine whether the enterprise strategic goals and business needs will be addressed by a new system, a change to an existing system, a service, an operational change, or some other solution.
-For a new system, organization or customer has decided to start with a “blank piece of paper”.  This may be referred to as a green-field system, and analysis efforts during concept definition characterize the as-is or present-state of the organization in terms of the problem, threat, or opportunity and then characterize the to-be or future-state of the organization in obtaining the resolution of the problem, threat, or opportunity.
+For a new system, the organization or customer has decided to start with a “blank piece of paper”.  This is often referred to as a green-field system, and analysis efforts during concept definition characterize the as-is or present-state of the SoI in terms of the problem, threat, or opportunity and then characterize the to-be or future-state of the SoI in obtaining the resolution of the problem, threat, or opportunity.
-There are cases where an existing system can be evolved or transformed into the desired system.  This may be referred to as a brown-field system, and the data that has been established for the original system can be used as inputs into the analysis efforts during concept definition activities.  The heritage system may have been developed for other purposes, the analysis effort will explore the problem space and possible solutions in the gaps of the original system to address the problem, threat or opportunity.
+An existing system can be evolved or transformed into the desired system.  This is often referred to as a brown-field system, and the data that has been established for the original system can be used as inputs into the analysis efforts during concept definition activities.  The existing system may have been developed for other purposes, the stakeholder needs or the operational environment may have changed, e.g., a change in threats. The analysis effort will explore the problem space and possible solutions to the gaps of the existing system to address the problem, threat or opportunity.
 ==References==
@@ Line 51: / Line 36: @@
 ===Primary References===
-INCOSE. 2023. '[[INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook|Systems Engineering Handbook]]: A Guide for System Life Cycle Processes and Activities', version 5.0. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc, ISBN: 978-1-118-99940-0.
+INCOSE. 2023. ''[[INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook|Systems Engineering Handbook]]: A Guide for System Life Cycle Processes and Activities'', version 5.0. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc, ISBN: 978-1-118-99940-0.
-INCOSE. 2022. INOSE Needs and Requirements Manual, version 1.1. INCOSE-TP-2021-002-01.
+INCOSE. 2022. ''INCOSE Needs and Requirements Manual'', version 1.1. INCOSE-TP-2021-002-01.
 ISO/IEC/IEEE. 2023. ''[[ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288|Systems and Software Engineering - System Life Cycle Processes]].'' Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. [[ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288]]:2023.
 ===Additional References===
-Hitchins, D. 2007. Systems Engineering: A 21st Century Systems Methodology. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
+Hitchins, D. 2007. ''Systems Engineering: A 21st Century Systems Methodology''. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
-ISO/IEC. 2003. Systems Engineering – A Guide for The Application of ISO/IEC 15288 System Life Cycle Processes.
-Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ISO/IEC 19760:2003 (E).
-ISO/IEC. 2007. Systems Engineering – Application and Management of The Systems Engineering Process. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standards (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ISO/IEC 26702:2007.
+ISO/IEC. 2003. ''Systems Engineering – A Guide for The Application of ISO/IEC 15288 System Life Cycle Processes''.
-Jackson, S., D. Hitchins, and H. Eisner. 2010. "What is the Systems Approach?" INCOSE Insight. (April 2010): 41-43.
+ISO/IEC. 2007. ''Systems Engineering – Application and Management of The Systems Engineering Process''. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standards (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ISO/IEC 26702:2007.
-NASA. 2016. Systems Engineering Handbook. Washington, D.C., USA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA/SP-2016-6105 rev 2.
+Jackson, S., D. Hitchins, and H. Eisner. 2010. ''"What is the Systems Approach?" INCOSE Insight''. (April 2010): 41-43.
-NASA. 2016. Systems Engineering Handbook supplement. Washington, D.C., USA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA/SP-2016-6105 SUPPL – Expanded Guidance for NASA Systems Engineering''',''' Volume 1: Systems Engineering Practices and Volume 2''':''' Crosscutting Topics, Special Topics, and Appendices.
+NASA. 2016. ''Systems Engineering Handbook''. Washington, D.C., USA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA/SP-2016-6105 rev 2.
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-<center>'''SEBoK v. 2.9, released 20 November 2023'''</center>
+<center>'''SEBoK v. 2.10, released 06 May 2024'''</center>
 [[Category:Part 3]]
 [[Category:Knowledge Area]]