4.3.19. Tools, Techniques, and Lessons Learned
4.3.19. Tools, Techniques, and Lessons Learned
Systems engineering (SE) tools support the performance of activities and the development of products. SE techniques use tools and methods to complete specific tasks. SE tools and techniques support the Program Manager and Systems Engineer in performing and managing the SE activities and processes to improve productivity and system cost, schedule, capabilities, and adaptability. The program should begin applying SE tools and techniques during the early stages of program definition to improve efficiency and traceability and to provide a technical framework for managing the weapon system development.
Collaboration tools allow the program office and developer to exchange data and analyses easily. Analytical tools and techniques also can assist in the development and validation of system designs. It is critical that the Systems Engineer understand the constraints and limitations of any particular analysis tool or technique, and apply this understanding when making assessments or recommendations based on its output.
Before selecting and implementing a SE tool or technique, the Systems Engineer should consider:
- Needs and constraints of the program (e.g., complexity, size, and funding)
- Applicability to required tasks and desired products
- Computer system requirements, including peripheral equipment
- Licensing and maintenance costs
- Technical data management (see DAG section 4.3.8. Technical Data Management Process)
- Integration with other SE tools in use within the program, by the developer, and by externally interfacing programs
- Cost to train the user to apply the tool or technique
- Number and level of expertise of Government and contractor staff (both users of the tool and users of the tool outputs)
- Feasibility of implementing the tool or technique throughout the acquisition life cycle
Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) and Major Automated Information System (MAIS) programs should clearly identify tools in use, define tool interfaces when the Government and developer select different tools to use for the same purpose, and describe how the tools support the program’s SE approach. This information is documented in the program’s Systems Engineering Plan (SEP) Table 4.7-1 Engineering Tools.
Table 4.3.19.T1 lists general capabilities and features of SE tools and the SE processes they might support.
Table 4.3.19.T1. SE Process-Related Tools
|
SE Process
|
Tool Capabilities / Features
|
|
Technical Planning
|
- Assists in planning and scheduling activities
- Assists in resource planning, tracking, and allocation
- Facilitates cost estimation
|
|
Decision Analysis
|
- Assists in trade-off analysis
- Provides optimization and sensitivity analysis capability
- Assists in recording, tracking, evaluating, and reporting decision outcomes
|
|
Technical Assessment
|
- Assists in tracking, measuring, and assessing metrics
- Assists in metric collection
|
|
Requirements Management
|
- Provides requirements bidirectional traceability capability
- Provides requirements flow-down capability
- Tracks requirements changes
|
|
Risk Management
|
- Assists in risk identification, analysis, mitigation planning, mitigation plan implementation, and tracking
|
|
Configuration Management
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- Assists in the identification of configuration items
- Assists in baseline/version control of all configuration items
- Assists in ensuring configuration baselines and changes are identified, recorded, evaluated, approved, incorporated and verified
|
|
Technical
Data Management
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- Assists in identification of data requirements
- Assists in storage, maintenance, control, use, and exchange of data
- Assists in document preparation, update, and analysis
|
|
Interface Management
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- Assists in capturing system internal and external interfaces and their requirement specifications
- Assists in assessing compliance of interfaces among system elements of the system or systems of systems
- Produces a view of interface connectivity
|
|
Stakeholder Requirements Definition
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- Assists in capturing and identifying stakeholder requirements
- Assists in analyzing and maintaining stakeholder requirements
|
|
Requirements Analysis
|
- Assists in requirements definition and decomposition
- Interfaces with architecting tools
- Supports Requirements Validation
|
|
Architecture Design
|
- Assists in development of functional and physical architectures
- Provides traceability among architectural components
- Supports multiple views
|
|
Implementation
|
- Assists in development of the system design, prototypes, and alternate solutions
- Assists in realization of the system, system elements, and enabling system elements
|
|
Integration
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- Assists in integration-planning activities
- Assists in assembling lower-level system elements into successively higher-level system elements
- Provides analysis and simulation capability
|
|
Verification
|
- Assists in determining the system and system elements performance as designed through demonstration, examination, analysis, and test
|
|
Validation
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- Assists in determining, the effectiveness, suitability and survivability of the system in meeting end-user needs
|
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Transition
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- Assists in planning and executing delivery and deploying of the system to the end user for use in operational environment
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