[MUSIC] Hello, I'm Mike Ryan.

>> And I'm Ian Faulconbridge

>> Welcome to introduction to systems engineering. We hope that you'll enjoy the
course
over the next nine weeks. The topic we're going to cover
is called systems engineering, that is the engineering of a system. We therefore
going to cover
a very broad range of issues. Because Systems Engineering is an approach
that involves many many professions, in a combined effort of design,
implementation and evaluation. And that's what holds the key to
the successful development of a complex human-made system. >> In this course, we'll
provide you with
a framework encapsulating the entire systems engineering discipline,
clearly showing with the multitude of associated activities
fit within the overall effort. And how those activities
relate to one another. Since systems engineering is such
a broad discipline, we also discuss how the concepts and procedures can
be applied to individual projects. And to help you visualize the application
of systems engineering, we use a number of examples throughout the course,
including
an example of a domestic dwelling. These examples will be used in both
the presentations and in the exercises. >> The course will run over nine weeks,
covering eight major modules and a ninth summary module
that concludes the course. Each module will comprise a number
of online presentations, and then some quizzes and
some exercises to give you feedback. For those of you that want a deeper
level of engagement with the course, we have two tests and another extension
exercises for you to complete. So let's talk about the content for
each module in a little bit more detail. So the course begins with
this introductory module, in which we address the nature of systems
and the concept of a system life cycle. We identified what is meant when
we say that something is a system. And we narrowed down the very
broad definition of such a thing, to focus on human-made or
human-modified systems. And those are our interest
in systems engineering. We then look at the very broad phases and
activities that a system moves through during its life,
through what we call the system lifecycle. From the early identification
by the business of the need for the system, explanation of options,
the function of design of the system, its physical design, detail design and
development, construction and production and then deployment
of the system into service. Its utilization throughout its life,
its support and then finally,
retirement at the end of its life. System engineering supports all
aspects of the system lifecycle. So in the second module, we describe
the discipline of systems engineering and outline its relevance and its benefits.
We introduce what we mean by
the term systems engineering. Then we provide a framework within which
we can consider the major processes, the activities and the artifacts
throughout the remainder of the course. Now, in doing so, it will become evident
to you that systems engineering approach has a number of advantages. So we'll also
examine in this module,
the relevance and the benefits of systems engineering. Before we begin to look at
the various
systems engineering activities in more detail in forthcoming modules,
in this module, we look at what we mean when we refer to the needs and
to the requirements for a system. We examine what we call the needs and
requirements views, they're developed by business management,
business operations and systems designers. We'll also consider how we'll go about
developing a set of requirements. We call that process
requirements engineering. In module four,
we explore requirements engineering. That is how requirements are gathered and then
defined formally,
through a process we call elaboration. And it's through that process that we
develop a formal set of requirements. We also look in this module, at some
simple requirements engineering tools, and we illustrate how they
might be useful to you. Finally, we examine
the notion of traceability, which ensures that we know where
each requirement comes from, which requirements are related to it and
which requirements come from it. >> Next, we examine conceptual design,
where we investigate how business needs and requirements and stakeholder needs and
requirements, are translated into a system level understanding
of the requirements of that system. This understanding will tell us what
the system needs to be able to do. How well it needs to perform and what
other systems it needs to interact with, in order to meet the stakeholder and
business needs and requirements. We then have a look at the concept of
system level synthesis, where we make some high-level design decisions before
reviewing our work in preparation for the core design effort,
normally associated with preliminary and detailed design. In module six, we pick up
from where we
left off at the end of conceptual design, and we discuss how we start making
some more detailed design decisions. During preliminary design, we will look
at identifying the various subsystems that need to come together
to form our system. What do those sub-systems
need to be able to do? How do those sub-systems
need to interrelate? Can we source those
sub-systems off the shelf, or do they need to be designed
from the ground up? These are key questions
of preliminary design. For the sub-systems that
need to be designed or modified, some level of detailed
design will be required. We will look at the detailed design
process, and talk about the tools like prototyping and how those tools
help to refine the detailed design. We then move on to constructing and producing a
system, against the detailed
design from the previous stage. During construction and production,
we look at critical systems engineering activities, such as configuration
audits and system verification. The system then enters the utilization
phase, where we explore how systems engineering may continue to be involved
via modification and upgrade projects. We finish this section by looking
briefly at some of the issues we face, when trying to dispose of, or retire,
systems that are no longer required. In this module, we explore some of the key
management issues that systems engineering must address,
in order to maintain balance and control across the systems
engineering effort. We look specifically at issues
such as verification and validation, configuration management,
technical risk management, and the management of the technical review and
audit program. We also explore some of the broad
strategies that might be adopted when executing
a systems engineering process. Whilst we have used what is generally
referred to as the waterfall approach throughout this course
to explain systems engineering, in this module we also briefly
introduce alternatives. Such as the incremental and
the evolutionary development approaches. We conclude the module by emphasizing
the importance of planning and tailoring, throughout
the systems engineering program. And the development of a governing plan, known as
a systems engineering
management lan, or simply the SEMP. >> Module nine concludes
the major material for the course. This final module provides a brief
summary of the course, but also provides feedback for
you on the assignments from module eight. >> As well as the presentations, the
course is also supported by
a number of other course elements. At the end of each module,
you'll be able to use a number of online quizzes to provide you with feedback as
to how well you've absorbed the material. You can attempt these quizzes
as many times you like, and there's no time limit
to complete the quiz. At the end of each module there
are also exercises that will provide you with feedback on
the application of the modules content. Each exercise will have
suggested solutions posted, so that you can confirm how well you did. >> For those
of you that feel you wish
to engage more deeply with the material, there are some additional tests and
extension exercises. When you feel ready,
you can complete the appropriate test. But please remember, unlike the quizzes, you
only have one attempt at
each test within the time limit. Also at the end of each module, there are
extension exercises that
you'll hand in and have assessed. Feedback for those extension
exercises will also be available once they've been assessed. Please also check the
additional
resources we provide for you. There's a glossary containing a list of
abbreviations and acronyms, which you'll definitely find useful if you're meeting
the material for the first time. A list of associated ratings and some links to
related materials
that you may be interested in. [MUSIC] >> Although the lectures are designed
to be self-contained, we recommend but do not require that students refer to our
textbook Systems Engineering Practice. It's available from Amazon or
from the publisher. Now, the text is not required, but it is
useful if you wish to support the videos with textual information,
it's a little easier to read. The relevant sections of the text
are listed on the reading Course Notes and Text Books. For an abbreviated
description of
the material, Ww also recommend, but again don't require,
that you refer to our electronic book, Introduction To Systems Engineering,
which is also available through Amazon. We've also provided a list
of suggested standards, websites and
books that may be of interest to you. Please see the reading,
Other Useful Resources. You may also be interested to hear of
the Master of Systems Engineering program at UNSW Canberra. The program is
purposely designed to
provide modern postgraduate students, with a program that broadens their
knowledge and skills rather than deepen as they modern in their traditional
science or engineering program. Consequently, enrollment in the program
is open to students from any disciplinary background. The master of system
engineering program
comprises of eight courses, which can be completed over one year full-time study,
or an equivalent part-time period. There are four compulsory courses,
systems engineering practice, requirements engineering, test and evaluation,
and systems thinking and modelling. And then there are four elective courses. By
choosing two of those courses from a
nominated set, students can specialize in networking, maritime systems,
space systems, test and evaluation, electronic warfare, weapons and ordinance,
simulation or reliability engineering. Now, all of our courses are offered
asynchronously, that is, you do not have to be logged
on at any particular time. All course material is
available to you at any time. So if you're interested in the master
of systems engineering program, more information is available
in the video in week nine.