Systems Engineering: A 21st Century Systems Methodology

✍ Scribed by Derek K. Hitchins

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 533
• Edition: Hardcover, 2008
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book conceives, presents and exemplifies a contemporary, general systems methodology that is straightforward and accessible, providing guidance in practical application, as well as explaining concept and theory. The book is presented both as a text for students, with topic assignments, and as a reference for practitioners, through case studies.

Utilizing recent research and developments in systems science, methods and tools, Hitchins has developed a unified systems methodology, employable when tackling virtually any problem, from the small technological, to the global socioeconomic. Founded in the powerful ‘systems approach’, Hitchins’ systems methodology brings together both soft and hard system scientific methods into one methodological framework. This can be applied when addressing complex problems, issues and situations, and for creating robust, provable solutions, resolutions and dissolutions to those problems – supposing such to exist.

This book details and explores:

• the systems approach, using theory and method to reveal systems engineering as applied systems science, bridging the gulf between Problem and Solution Spaces;
• a ‘universal’ Systems Methodology (including an extensive view of systems engineering, embracing both soft and hard systems) which encompasses all five stages of Hitchins’ 5-layer Systems Engineering Model (artifact, project, enterprise, industry and socio-economy);
• case studies illustrating how the systems methodology may be used to address a diverse range of situations and issues, including conceiving a new defense capability, proposing a feasible way to tackle global warming, tackling enterprise interventions, how and why things can go wrong, and many more.

Systems Engineering will give an immeasurable advantage to managers, practitioners and consultants in a wide range of organizations and fields including police, defense, procurement, communications, transport, management, electrical, electronic, aerospace, requirements, software and computer engineering.

It is an essential reference for researchers seeking ‘systems enlightenment’, including graduate students who require a comprehensive reference text on the subject, and also government departments and systems engineering institutions

✦ Table of Contents

Systems Engineering......Page 5
Contents......Page 9
Foreword......Page 21
Preface......Page 23
Part I Systems: Advances in Systems Science and Thinking......Page 29
Emerging Systems Movement......Page 31
The Nature of Systems......Page 33
Causality and Teleology......Page 34
Life and the Second Law......Page 35
Entropy and Work in Human Organizations......Page 36
Boulding’s Classification of Systems......Page 37
Parallels and Isomorphisms......Page 38
The Concept of the Open System......Page 39
Understanding Open System Behavior......Page 40
Gestalt and Holism......Page 41
Interaction dynamics......Page 42
Stability and Steady-state......Page 43
The Systems Approach......Page 44
Systems Thinking......Page 45
The organismic analogy......Page 46
Mechanistic Control Concepts......Page 47
Organismic Control Concepts......Page 48
Emergence and hierarchy......Page 49
Variety in whole systems......Page 50
Potential synthesis of open systems with desired emergent properties: systems engineering......Page 51
Problem space and solution space......Page 52
Evolving adaptive systems......Page 53
Self-organized criticality......Page 54
System precepts......Page 55
Assignment......Page 57
System Theory, System Science......Page 59
Conservation Laws and Transport Phenomena......Page 60
Queuing Phenomena......Page 61
Generating chaos......Page 63
Fractals......Page 67
Period doubling......Page 69
Information: Conserved, or Non-conserved?......Page 70
Behavior......Page 71
World models and world views......Page 72
Belief system......Page 73
Instinct and archetype......Page 74
Social and Cultural Anthropology......Page 77
Social Genotype......Page 78
Managing Complexity......Page 79
Aggregation of emergent properties......Page 80
Anti-chaos......Page 81
Principle of system reactions......Page 82
Principle of adaptation......Page 83
Principle of limited variety......Page 84
Principle of cyclic progression (entropic cycling)......Page 85
System life cycles: the Unified Systems Hypothesis......Page 86
System longevity: system decay......Page 88
Summary......Page 89
Assignment......Page 90
Scope, Limits and Values......Page 91
Rich pictures......Page 92
Causality and causal loop models......Page 93
Dynamic simulation of phenomena......Page 96
Dynamic interactive systems simulation......Page 99
Behavior modeling......Page 100
Systems Thinking and the Scientific Method......Page 101
Representing and Modeling Systems......Page 102
Nonlinear Systems Thinking......Page 106
Summary......Page 108
Assignments......Page 109
Why Systems Engineering is Important......Page 111
Battle of Britain......Page 112
NASA’s Apollo......Page 113
Is it Engineering?......Page 114
Problem Solving, Resolving and Dissolving......Page 115
Systems Engineering: Definitions and Descriptions......Page 116
The Real Objectives of Systems Engineering......Page 119
Strategies for Solving, Resolving or Dissolving the Problem......Page 120
System of Systems......Page 122
Bottom-up Integration......Page 124
Completing the ‘Whole’ of Systems Engineering.........Page 125
Summary......Page 127
Assignments......Page 129
The Open System......Page 131
Simple Nesting and Recursive Models......Page 133
Social Genotype — a Notional Model......Page 134
Cybernetic Models......Page 135
Models of Systems Architecture......Page 136
Beers’ Viable Systems Model......Page 138
Open-loop Control Models......Page 140
The 5-layer Systems Model......Page 141
Layer 1: product/subsystem engineering......Page 142
Layer 2: project systems engineering......Page 145
The essence of systems engineering......Page 148
Layer 4: industrial systems engineering......Page 149
Layer 5: Socio-economic systems engineering......Page 150
Whence emergence? Can we purposefully ‘design-in’ emergence?......Page 152
The generic reference model (GRM) concept......Page 153
Function management......Page 156
Behavior management......Page 158
The generic reference form model......Page 160
The Generic Reference Model in List Form......Page 161
The GRM and the Systems Approach......Page 163
Instantiated layered GRM......Page 166
Comparing the GRM......Page 169
Assignment......Page 170
Introduction......Page 173
Investigation......Page 176
The open system viewpoint......Page 177
Market pull vs production push......Page 180
Kaizen and the assembly line......Page 182
Keiretsu......Page 185
Summary......Page 186
Part II Systems Methodology......Page 189
What is the Systems Methodology?......Page 191
The Social and Economic Potential of the Systems Methodology......Page 192
The scientific dimension......Page 193
The logic and epistemological dimensions......Page 194
The time dimension......Page 195
The social dimension......Page 196
The economic dimension......Page 197
The technological dimension......Page 199
Systems Methodology: Conceptual Model......Page 200
Create a (Better) Systems Methodology?......Page 206
Create an Intelligent, Auto-adaptive, Evolving Solution System?......Page 207
Auto-adaptation and the intelligent enterprise......Page 208
Summary......Page 209
Assignment......Page 210
Problem-solving Paradigms......Page 213
System Dysfunctions: the POETIC Acronym......Page 214
Soft Systems Approaches......Page 215
Degrees of intervention......Page 216
Consensual Methods......Page 217
Idea writing......Page 218
Warfield’s interpretive structural modeling (ISM)......Page 219
Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) in Intervention......Page 220
Hitchins’ Rigorous Soft Method (RSM) in Intervention......Page 223
Assignment......Page 228
Situation......Page 229
Off-line Informal Investigation using the Rigorous Soft Method (RSM)......Page 230
Hands-on Intervention — using NGT and ISM......Page 236
Comparing the Hands-off RSM Investigation and the Hands-on Intervention......Page 244
Summary......Page 245
Approach......Page 247
Boundaries and finite states......Page 248
Environments, influences and interactions......Page 249
Resource needs......Page 250
Summary......Page 251
Assignment......Page 252
SM3: Solution System Purpose......Page 253
Threats and strategies......Page 254
SM4: Developing a Concept of Operations (CONOPS)......Page 256
Assignments......Page 258
Introduction......Page 259
Interacting Systems......Page 261
Working up the System — Operational Systems Engineering......Page 262
Let Battle Commence......Page 263
Battle of Britain Simulation......Page 266
Running the BoB simulation......Page 267
Introduction......Page 272
The Lightning......Page 273
Optimizing the Design......Page 275
Digital Data Links to the Rescue......Page 277
The trial......Page 278
Conclusions......Page 279
Approach......Page 281
The Functional Design Process......Page 283
The Physical Design Process......Page 286
Output/outcome......Page 289
Summary......Page 290
Assignment......Page 291
Approach......Page 293
Optimizing the whole......Page 294
Disaster relief example......Page 296
The naval destroyer example......Page 297
Optimizing supply and logistic systems designs......Page 300
Understanding the Design in Context......Page 301
To be Linear or Nonlinear: That is the Question......Page 302
Verification and Validation......Page 303
Summary......Page 304
Assignment......Page 305
Introduction......Page 307
Requirement Specifications......Page 308
Manifesting Different ‘Kinds’ of System......Page 309
Integration considerations......Page 311
Component of the Whole SoS......Page 313
Summary......Page 315
Assignments......Page 316
Ideal World vs Real World......Page 317
The Systems Methodology as a Whole......Page 318
The Systems Methodology — as Process?......Page 319
Outer loop – inner loop design......Page 321
The Systems Methodology — in Parts and Phases......Page 322
Summary......Page 326
Assignment......Page 327
Systems Methodology in Phases......Page 329
Systems Methodology as HASs......Page 330
Systems Methodology as Tools......Page 331
Organization for Applying the Systems Methodology and for Systems Engineering......Page 332
SM GANTT charts......Page 334
Teams of teams......Page 335
Team of teams and inner/outer loops......Page 336
Team of teams and system of systems......Page 337
Assignments......Page 339
Mojave Maneuvers......Page 341
The ‘Real’ issue?......Page 347
SM2: Explore Solution Space......Page 348
Prime directive and semantic analysis......Page 349
Strategies to achieve objectives, overcome threats......Page 350
Nonlethal weapons......Page 351
Functions from strategies......Page 352
SM4: Develop SoS High-level CONOPS......Page 353
SM5/3 instantiate internal functions......Page 355
SM5/2 instantiate internal behavior......Page 356
SM5/5 partition into solution system interacting subsystems......Page 357
SM5/7: Formulate Solution System Overview......Page 358
Intermediate task!......Page 360
SM5/11 Identifying an Option......Page 361
Transportable land element (TLE) design concept......Page 363
UMA/RPVs and weapons......Page 365
The chameleon TLE — internal design concept......Page 367
The VSTOL transport aircraft/operations HQ/logistics support......Page 369
SM5/12 Re-do Steps 2–5/7 for each Interacting Subsystem within Optional SoS (Containing System)......Page 370
Command and Control......Page 371
Fractal C2......Page 372
SM6/1 Instantiate as Single Organismic Blue SoS Dynamic Model......Page 373
SM6/1 and 6/2 Instantiate Blue MLF2010 and Red Opposition......Page 374
Summary......Page 375
Conclusion......Page 376
Part III Systems Methodology and Systems Engineering......Page 377
Distinguishing Systems Engineering From the ‘Look-alikes’......Page 379
Linear vs nonlinear......Page 381
Unprecedented, one-off systems......Page 382
Evolving systems......Page 383
Extant operational systems......Page 384
Systems Engineering ‘Strategies’......Page 385
The waterfall......Page 386
The spiral......Page 388
Concurrent......Page 389
Chaos......Page 390
Functional, Project and Program Management......Page 391
M’Pherson’s system design framework......Page 393
M’Pherson’s design hierarchy for a complex system......Page 394
M’Pherson’s systems engineering organization in project management......Page 395
SEAMS......Page 396
Systems Architectures......Page 398
Systems architectural strengths and weaknesses......Page 399
Architecture analogies......Page 402
Contained and encapsulated systems viewpoints......Page 404
Purposeful Systems Architectures......Page 405
Layered architectures......Page 407
ISO open systems interconnect......Page 408
Command and control architectures......Page 409
Enterprise architectures......Page 410
Why human activity systems?......Page 411
The human–machine divide......Page 412
Training......Page 413
Societal Systems......Page 414
Social engineering......Page 417
Summary......Page 420
Assignment......Page 421
The Hand of Purpose Flowing Through Humanand Machine......Page 424
Preserving Interfunctional Connections in Functional-to-physical Mapping......Page 426
Emphasizing the Process View......Page 429
Design, Integration and Test......Page 431
Summary......Page 432
Assignment......Page 433
The Problem Space......Page 434
Social engineering — irresponsible liberalization?......Page 435
Political correctness: the new secular religion......Page 437
Politics in policing — tough on crime, tough on the causes…......Page 438
Policing in a democracy......Page 439
Changes in policing......Page 440
Social atomization, fear of crime, and the reactive spiral......Page 441
Progressive reduction in the state of stability......Page 443
Proactive policing, gearing and reactive demand......Page 445
Terrorism changes the picture…......Page 446
Recruiting proactive police......Page 447
Peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace building: Levels 1, 2 and 3 policing......Page 448
Policing models......Page 449
Designing a Solution System......Page 450
Summary and Conclusion......Page 452
The Problem Space......Page 454
Flies in the ointment......Page 455
Fighting the aircraft — the missing CONOPS......Page 456
Government reluctance......Page 458
Systems concepts – LANCE......Page 459
Conclusions......Page 460
Creating, Developing and Evolving a SoS......Page 462
Limitations in SE for SoS......Page 463
Strategy for SoS Engineering......Page 464
Continual redesign......Page 465
SoS pipeline architecture......Page 466
SoS complementary architecture......Page 468
SoS — Unified Whole, or Dissociated Set?......Page 470
Managing Change in a SoS......Page 472
System of Systems Engineering......Page 473
Summary......Page 474
Assignment......Page 475
Difficulties in predicting the need......Page 476
Bureaucracy blunting the cutting edge for defense......Page 478
Security......Page 480
Conceptual Remedial Solutions......Page 481
CONOPS......Page 483
System Design......Page 486
Conclusions......Page 487
Introduction......Page 488
What is an Intelligent System?......Page 489
Intelligence and survival......Page 490
Predicting the future......Page 491
About Making Decisions......Page 492
What Characterizes a Learning Organization/Intelligent Enterprise…?......Page 494
Situation Facing Intelligent Enterprises......Page 495
Making intelligent choices — intelligent enterprise model......Page 497
Innovative decision-making model......Page 498
Learning and Intelligent Behavior......Page 500
Keeping the Enterprise Intelligent......Page 501
Summary......Page 502
Assignment......Page 503
Energy, Demands, Resources and Reserves......Page 506
Choices......Page 507
Measures to ameliorate the effects of climate change......Page 508
Hydroelectricity......Page 509
Tidal flow......Page 510
Biomass solar power......Page 511
Nuclear Energy......Page 512
Future Imperfect…......Page 513
Industrial pollution......Page 514
Risk from ‘doing too little, too late’......Page 515
Appreciating the problem......Page 516
Regulating the solar constant......Page 517
The L1 cloud concept......Page 518
The L1 sunshield concept......Page 519
Sunshield construction......Page 520
Comparative timescales......Page 522
Critique......Page 523
References......Page 526
Index......Page 528