Difference between revisions of "Systems Engineering Fundamentals"

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==Topics==
 
==Topics==
Each part of the SEBoK is divided into KAs, which are groupings of information with a related theme. The KAs in turn are divided into topics. This KA contains the following topics:  
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Each part of the SEBoK is divided into KAs, which are groupings of information with a related theme. The KAs, in turn, are divided into topics. This KA contains the following topics:  
 
*[[Introduction to System Fundamentals]]
 
*[[Introduction to System Fundamentals]]
 
*[[Types of Systems]]
 
*[[Types of Systems]]
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Some systems classifications, characterized by type of element or by {{Term|Purpose (glossary)|purpose}}, are presented.  
 
Some systems classifications, characterized by type of element or by {{Term|Purpose (glossary)|purpose}}, are presented.  
  
Within the SEBoK an {{Term|Engineered System (glossary)|engineered system}} is defined as encompassing combinations of technology and people in the context of natural, social, business, public or political environments, created, used and sustained for an identified purpose. The application of the [[Systems Approach Applied to Engineered Systems]] requires the ability to position {{Term|Problem (glossary)|problems}} or {{Term|Opportunity (glossary)|opportunities}} in the wider system containing them, to create or change a specific engineered {{Term|System-of-Interest (glossary)|system-of-interest}}, and to understand and deal with the consequences of these changes in appropriate wider systems. The concept of a {{Term|System Context (glossary)|system context}} allows all of the system elements and relationships needed to support this to be identified.
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An {{Term|Engineered System (glossary)|engineered system}} is defined within the SEBoK as encompassing combinations of technology and people in the context of natural, social, business, public or political environments, created, used and sustained for an identified purpose. The application of the [[Systems Approach Applied to Engineered Systems]] requires the ability to position {{Term|Problem (glossary)|problems}} or {{Term|Opportunity (glossary)|opportunities}} in the wider system containing them, to create or change a specific engineered {{Term|System-of-Interest (glossary)|system-of-interest}}, and to understand and deal with the consequences of these changes in appropriate wider systems. The concept of a {{Term|System Context (glossary)|system context}} allows all of the system elements and relationships needed to support this to be identified.
  
 
The discussions of engineered system contexts includes the general idea of groups of systems to help deal with situations in which the elements of an engineered system are themselves independent engineered systems.  To help provide a focus for the discussions of how SE is applied to real world problems, four engineered system contexts are introduced in the KA:  
 
The discussions of engineered system contexts includes the general idea of groups of systems to help deal with situations in which the elements of an engineered system are themselves independent engineered systems.  To help provide a focus for the discussions of how SE is applied to real world problems, four engineered system contexts are introduced in the KA:  
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Bertalanffy, L., von. 1968. ''[[General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications]]'', rev. ed. New York, NY, USA: Braziller.
 
Bertalanffy, L., von. 1968. ''[[General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications]]'', rev. ed. New York, NY, USA: Braziller.
  
Magee, C. L., O.L. de Weck. 2004. "[[Complex System Classification]]."  Proceedings of the 14th Annual International Council on Systems Engineering International Symposium, 20-24  June 2004, Toulouse, France.
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Magee, C. L., O.L. de Weck. 2004. "[[Complex System Classification|Complex system classification]]."  Proceedings of the 14th Annual International Council on Systems Engineering International Symposium, Toulouse, France, 20-24  June 2004.
  
 
Rebovich, G., and B.E. White (eds.). 2011. ''[[Enterprise Systems Engineering: Advances in the Theory and Practice]]''. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press.  
 
Rebovich, G., and B.E. White (eds.). 2011. ''[[Enterprise Systems Engineering: Advances in the Theory and Practice]]''. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press.  
  
Sheard, S.A. and A. Mostashari. 2009. "[[Principles of Complex Systems for Systems Engineering]]". ''Systems Engineering'', 12(4): 295-311.
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Sheard, S.A. and A. Mostashari. 2009. "[[Principles of Complex Systems for Systems Engineering|Principles of complex systems for systems engineering]]." ''Systems Engineering'', vol. 12, no. 4. pp. 295-311.
  
Tien, J.M. and D. Berg. 2003. "[[A Case for Service Systems Engineering]]". ''Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering'', 12(1): 13-38.
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Tien, J.M. and D. Berg. 2003. "[[A Case for Service Systems Engineering|A case for service systems engineering]]." ''Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering'', vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 13-38.
  
 
===Additional References===
 
===Additional References===

Revision as of 19:53, 28 February 2020


Lead Author: Rick Adcock, Contributing Authors: Janet Singer, Duane Hybertson


This knowledge area (KA) provides a guide to some of the most important knowledge about a systemsystem, which forms part of systems thinkingsystems thinking and acts as a foundation for the related worlds of integrative systems sciencesystems science and systems approaches to practicesystems approaches to practice.

This is part of the wider systems knowledge, which can help to provide a common language and intellectual foundation and make practical systems conceptsconcepts, principlesprinciples, patterns and tools accessible to systems engineeringsystems engineering (SE) as discussed in Part 2: Foundations of Systems Engineering.

Topics

Each part of the SEBoK is divided into KAs, which are groupings of information with a related theme. The KAs, in turn, are divided into topics. This KA contains the following topics:

Introduction

The word system is used in many areas of human activity and at many levels. But what do systems researchers and practitioners mean when they use the word system? Is there some part of that meaning common to all applications? The following diagram summarizes the ways in which this question is explored in this KA.

Figure 1. System Fundamentals and Engineered Systems. (SEBoK Original)

The concepts of open systemopen system and closed systemclosed system are explored. Open systems, described by a set of elementselements and relationships, are used to describe many real world phenomena. Closed systems have no interactions with their environmentenvironment. Two particular aspects of systems, complexitycomplexity and emergenceemergence, are described in this KA. Between them, these two concepts represent many of the challenges which drive the need for systems thinkingsystems thinking and an appreciation of systems science in SE.

Some systems classifications, characterized by type of element or by purposepurpose, are presented.

An engineered systemengineered system is defined within the SEBoK as encompassing combinations of technology and people in the context of natural, social, business, public or political environments, created, used and sustained for an identified purpose. The application of the Systems Approach Applied to Engineered Systems requires the ability to position problemsproblems or opportunitiesopportunities in the wider system containing them, to create or change a specific engineered system-of-interestsystem-of-interest, and to understand and deal with the consequences of these changes in appropriate wider systems. The concept of a system contextsystem context allows all of the system elements and relationships needed to support this to be identified.

The discussions of engineered system contexts includes the general idea of groups of systems to help deal with situations in which the elements of an engineered system are themselves independent engineered systems. To help provide a focus for the discussions of how SE is applied to real world problems, four engineered system contexts are introduced in the KA:

  1. product systemproduct system context
  2. service systemservice system context
  3. enterprise systementerprise system context
  4. system of systems (sos)system of systems (sos) context

The details of how SE is applied to each of these contexts are described in Part 4: Applications of Systems Engineering.

References

Works Cited

None.

Primary References

Bertalanffy, L., von. 1968. General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications, rev. ed. New York, NY, USA: Braziller.

Magee, C. L., O.L. de Weck. 2004. "Complex system classification." Proceedings of the 14th Annual International Council on Systems Engineering International Symposium, Toulouse, France, 20-24 June 2004.

Rebovich, G., and B.E. White (eds.). 2011. Enterprise Systems Engineering: Advances in the Theory and Practice. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press.

Sheard, S.A. and A. Mostashari. 2009. "Principles of complex systems for systems engineering." Systems Engineering, vol. 12, no. 4. pp. 295-311.

Tien, J.M. and D. Berg. 2003. "A case for service systems engineering." Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 13-38.

Additional References

None.


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SEBoK v. 2.1, released 31 October 2019