Case Studies

Systems engineering principles described in the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK) Parts 1-6 are illustrated in Part 7 by Systems Engineering Implementation Examples. These examples describe the application of systems engineering practices, principles, and concepts in real settings. These systems engineering examples can be used to improve the practice of systems engineering by illustrating to students and practitioners the benefits of effective practice and the risks of poor practice. The SEBoK systems engineering implementation examples are grouped in two categories, case studies and vignettes. Case studies reference cases which have already been published by external sources in the existing literature. Vignettes are short wiki articles written specifically for the BKCASE project.

Case studies have been used for decades in medicine, law, and business to help students learn fundamentals and to help practitioners improve their practice. To map systems engineering case studies to specific topics in the SEBoK, a Matrix of Implementation Examples is used. This helps to map each implementation example to discussion of the systems engineering principles illustrated. The selection of case studies represented here cover a variety of sources, domains, and geographic locations. Both effective and ineffective use of systems engineering principles are illustrated.

The number of publicly available systems engineering case studies is growing. Case studies which highlight aerospace domain are more prevalent, with a growing number of examples beyond this domain.

The United States Air Force Center for Systems Engineering has developed a set of case studies "to facilitate learning by emphasizing the long-term consequences of the systems engineering/programmatic decisions on cost, schedule, and operational effectiveness" (Air Force Center for Systems Engineering). They are using these cases to enhance SE curriculum. The cases are structured using the Friedman-Sage framework (Friedman and Sage) which decomposes a case into contractor, government, and shared responsibilities in nine concept areas: Requirements Definition and Management, Systems Architecture Development, System/Subsystem Design, Validation/Verification, Risk Management, Systems Integration and Interfaces, Life Cycle Support, Deployment and Post Deployment, and System and Program Management. This framework forms the basis of the case study analysis carried out by the Air Force Center for System Engineering. Three of these case studies are highlighted in this SEBoK section: Hubble Space Telescope Case Study, Global Positioning System Case Study, International Space Station Case Study.

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a catalog of over fifty NASA-related case studies (NASA 2011). These case studies include insights about both program management and systems engineering. Varying in the level of detail, topics addressed, and source organization, these case studies are used to enhance learning at workshops, training, retreats, and conferences. The use of case studies is viewed as important since, "Organizational learning takes place when knowledge is shared in usable ways among organizational members. Knowledge is most usable when it is contextual." Case study teaching is a method for sharing contextual knowledge to enable reapplication of lessons learned. Two case studies from this catalog are the MSTI Case Study and the Space Shuttle Case Study.

Case study introductions are provided in this section for the following cases:

References

Citations

Air Force Center for Systems Engineering. Why Case Studies? Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, USA. Available from http://www.afit.edu/cse/cases.cfm (accessed 2011).

Friedman, G., and A. P. Sage. Systems Engineering Concepts: Illustration through Case Studies. January 19, 2003. Available from http://www.afit.edu/cse/docs/Friedman-Sage%20Framework.pdf (accessed 2011).

Friedman, G., and A. P. Sage. 2004. Case studies of systems engineering and management in systems acquisition. Systems Engineering 7 (1): 84-96.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. A Catalog of NASA-Related Case Studies. Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer. Goddard Space Flight Center. Updated June 2011. Available from http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/pdf/450420main_NASA_Case_Study_Catalog.pdf (accessed 2011).

Primary References

Air Force Center for Systems Engineering. Why Case Studies? Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, USA. Available from http://www.afit.edu/cse/cases.cfm (accessed 2011).

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. A Catalog of NASA-Related Case Studies. Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer. Goddard Space Flight Center. Updated June 2011. Available from http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/pdf/450420main_NASA_Case_Study_Catalog.pdf (accessed 2011).