Table Of ContentReinhard Haberfellner
Olivier de Weck
Ernst Fricke
Siegfried Vössner
Systems
Engineering
Fundamentals
and Applications
Reinhard Haberfellner • Olivier de Weck
Ernst Fricke • Siegfried Vössner
Systems Engineering
Fundamentals and Applications
Reinhard Haberfellner Olivier de Weck
Institute of General Management Engineering Systems Division
and Organization MIT
Graz University of Technology Cambridge, MA, USA
Graz, Austria
Siegfried Vössner
Ernst Fricke Engineering and Business Informatics
BMW AG Graz University of Technology
Munich, Germany Graz, Austria
ISBN 978-3-030-13430-3 ISBN 978-3-030-13431-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13431-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019934964
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Preface to the English Version
This book is a translation of the successful German textbook “Systems Engineering –
Grundlagen und Anwendung,” which is in its 14th edition and focuses on the basics
of problem-solving and the necessary ambidexterity to turn problems into solu-
tions – systems design and project management. In recent years, we have witnessed
increasing requests by European, American, and Asian colleagues, along with
German universities, as more and more lectures are being given in English, to pro-
vide an English translation of our book.
What are the success factors of the book we are presenting here? Is there really a
need for an additional book on systems engineering in English? What advantages
does it offer in comparison with other offerings? In our view, there are several reasons
for this publication.
The term “systems engineering” was originally coined at Bell Labs in the 1940s.
Best practices and formal methods of systems engineering have emerged since the
1950s and have been codified in a number of standards and handbooks. These stan-
dards are very helpful in giving structure and consistency to the systems engineer-
ing process. However, they often promote a specialist nomenclature and mindset
and a rather rigid approach to systems engineering that is sometimes difficult to
apply in practice. This is especially true for small and medium-sized enterprises in
addition to those from the non-aerospace and defense industries. Often, these con-
cepts and standards were the product of teams consisting of several hundreds or
even thousands of members from various sectors and companies, which makes
these concepts more extensive, more complex, and more difficult to understand.
Looking at projects in industry, the basics are often forgotten or poorly
implemented.
Hence, what is needed is a structured, common-sense, and transparent approach
to solving problems that can be understood by a large range of individuals and not
only by highly skilled technical professionals. This is what this book offers.
v
vi Preface to the English Version
Our concept is originally based on the work of A.D. Hall,1 which somewhat inex-
plicably has lost its prominence over the years. A small group of engineers2 in the
industrial engineering department of ETH-Zürich (BWI) revived his ideas in the
1970s and developed a similar concept, which has been continuously refined over
the last few decades and may therefore be called the Hall/BWI approach.
We believe that our approach has essential strengths, which are made up of a
number of facets:
• The idea of the systems engineering concept can be presented in a single graphic
view for easier clarification (see Fig. 1)3.
• Systems thinking is well integrated into the concept
• The process model as an essential part of the concept is divided into four mod-
ules, which may be combined according to the characteristics and needs of a
particular project (Fig. 2.7, later).
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Fig. 1 The systems engineering concept shown as a “systems engineering manakin”
1 Hall, A.D. (1962): A Methodology of Systems Engineering.
2 Büchel, A. (1969): Systems Engineering. Eine Einführung.
3 The notion of “problem” in the figure, as we define it here is the difference between a situation as
it currently exists (= present state), which includes problems and/or opportunities, and a future
imagined state (= solution as the target state) that is hopefully “better” than the current situation,
even if state of this future target at the beginning of the project is quite vague, uncertain or even
controversial.
Preface to the English Version vii
• The “agile” methodologies, originating from software engineering, are covered,
and are differentiated against and where possible integrated into our approach in
a well-disposed manner, avoiding unnecessary ideology.
• Special methods, techniques, and tools are not part of our core model, but may
be individually added according to the needs of the project (size, subject area,
branch, corporate rules, etc.). They may come from multiple disciplines.
• The concept is of general relevance and may be used in many branches and tasks
using industry-specific terms, and the principles may be applied to large projects
and to rather small ones. This is demonstrated in three case studies.
• One of the objectives of this book is to make good engineering easier to under-
stand and teach.
• In contrast to other approaches, our book provides an approach for general prob-
lem solving rather than a set of hard-wired recipes.
In other words: We do not offer rigid processes or procedures but rather a mental
framework that gives direction but has to be interpreted intelligently by project
teams and their leaders. The success of a project is in our opinion not mainly based
on the use of cutting-edge methods and tools, which often are not known or under-
stood by other team members. Many experienced experts are convinced that the
reason why most projects fail in practice is that basic systems engineering wisdom
was not observed by the project teams and/or the decision-making authorities. This
is what we want to focus on.
The target audiences for our book are widespread: the way of thinking and
approach presented here are suitable for:
• Engineers and engineering students from all faculties (mechanical, electrical,
industrial, mechatronics, informatics, civil, architecture, etc.)
• Economists, MBA students, etc.
• Planners and designers of all types of systems: hardware, software, processes,
organizations, logistics, etc.
• Practitioners in industry, government, and nonprofit organizations
We hope you enjoy this book. A classic approach for modern times.
Graz, Austria Reinhard Haberfellner
Cambridge, MA, USA Olivier de Weck
Munich, Germany Ernst Fricke
Graz, Austria Siegfried Vössner
April, 2019
Systems Engineering Concept and Structure of
the Book
Under this section you can find a description of the basic ideas of the systems
engineering concept and the structure of the book
The Basic Ideas of the Systems Engineering Concept
The reader will find a thorough description of a proven methodology that helps in
dealing with problems, no matter what their nature.
A problem here is understood as the difference between what exists (= actual
state) and the idea of a desired state, however vague, uncertain, and even controver-
sial this may be at the beginning. This situation occurs in pronounced form in practi-
cally every project and is depicted with question marks in Fig. 2:
• In many cases, the actual state and its assessment are not (fully) known and it is
necessary to carry out investigations and surveys to find out.
• The appraisal of the actual state cannot be seen in isolation from the knowledge
of the ideas, expectations for the desired state.
• The desired state of course does not exist at the beginning and has to be
elaborated.
• If both the actual state and the desired state are uncertain, the difference (delta)
may not be judged uniformly, but rather large or rather small. Related to that, the
way, the urgency, the allowable expenses for reducing the gap, etc., may be
assessed differently and give rise to discussions.
If you want to find a solution to a problem, many factors are decisive. These
range from knowledge about the situation, experience, methodology, a behavioral
component, professional ethics, etc.
This is expressed in Fig. 3: systems engineering represents the methodological
component in problem-solving and should help to coordinate the different factors
with each other. However, we do not think that methodology alone solves any
ix
x Systems Engineering Concept and Structure of the Book
? ?
ACTUAL STATE DESIRED STATE
?
Fig. 2 A problem is the difference between an actual and a desired state
PROBLEM
SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE BEHAVIOUR/ PROFESSIONAL
KNOWLEDGE OF SITUATION EXPERIENCE METHODOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY ETHICS
SOLUTION
Fig. 3 Systems engineering as a methodological component in problem-solving
problems. Although methodology is located in the center of Fig. 3 it is not the only
and not always the most important factor in problem-solving: the success or failure
of a project may be caused by any other component, as shown in Fig. 3.
These considerations have led to the system engineering concept as shown in
Fig. 1 and briefly described below.
Structure of the Book
This book consists of seven parts:
In Part I, Systems Engineering principles, the intellectual framework of our sys-
tems engineering approach is described. These are Systems Thinking (Chap. 1) as a
tool to structure situations and circumstances, to represent it in their contexts, and
thus to help to a better understanding, clear demarcation, and problem-adequate
shaping of solutions. In Chap. 2 our systems engineering process model is outlined.
This consists of various basic principles and four components that help to subdivide
the development and implementation of a solution into manageable substeps. In
addition, the process model can – like building blocks – be assembled from its com-
ponents, and thus be aligned to the size and complexity of a project.
The systems engineering principles are first described in a simplified form, with-
out regard to special and exceptional cases, which are described in later parts.
In Part II, Problem-Solving Process, the application aspects of the systems engi-
neering principles and especially those of the process model are dealt with. Also,
limitations or enhancements that were stated in Part I are explained here.
The problem-solving process is conceptually structured in Systems Design (=
content structure of the solution, Chap. 3) and Project Management (= organiza-
tional aspects – Chap. 4, such as agreement on a project contract, establishing the
Systems Engineering Concept and Structure of the Book xi
project group, their organizational integration into the parent organization, estab-
lishing a steering committee, agreement of dates of reporting, etc.).
Part III, System Design, is structured into Systems Architecting – in terms of giv-
ing a basic structure to the solution, finding the solution principle – and into Concept
Development, which deals with the more concrete manifestation of the architecture.
Chapter 5, Systems Architecting, gives a brief description of the meaning, task,
options and impacts of the choice of a certain system architecture. In Chap. 6,
Concept Development, the single steps of the problem-solving cycle are deepened:
situations analysis, formulation of objectives, concept synthesis, concept analysis,
evaluation, and decision. These steps offer the same logic and basic structure to be
repeated at the various levels of concretization.
Part IV, Case Studies summarizes the Systems Engineering Basics of the Hall/
BWI approach as represented here (Chap. 7). In Chap. 8, Private House Building, a
simple project – to build a single-family house – is described, from the definition of
the basic intent to the detailed planning. As an example of a very complex system,
Airport Planning is described in Chap. 9, showing the systems engineering
methodology in script-like dialogs. In Chap. 10 we added an additional case study:
planning a smart city with a very interesting and attractive science tower.
Part V, Systems Engineering for Practice, gives practical assistance for projects.
In Chap. 11 we give 7 basic recommendations for the application of systems engi-
neering in your project. Chap. 12 describes Typical Weak Areas in Projects
(Stumbling Blocks). Chap. 13 contains Activities Checklists, which are intended to
support the quality of project execution, and in Chap. 14, the Characteristics of
Successful Project Management as the results of an empirical study are outlined.
Part VI, Methods, Techniques, and Tools (MTTs), first provides an overview of
MTTs, which can be used in systems engineering (Chap. 15), without becoming an
integral part of the methodology. In Chap. 16 about 100 MTTs are briefly described,
which can support the system design and project management and which come
from a variety of disciplines.
The back matter is the collection pot for different directories: answers to the
questions to knowledge and comprehension, which are given after each of the for-
mer chapters; list of figures; bibliography; and alphabetic subject index.
This book is intended both as a textbook that will assist the user when accessing
the topic of systems engineering. On the other hand, it is designed as a reference
guide for later use. This purpose is supported by an index, which facilitates access
to keywords and terms.
Set of Questions4: Systems Engineering Concept in General
1
1. Describe the basic ideas of the systems engineering concept.
2. What significance do methodology and process have in problem-solving? Is
methodology the only component? If not, what are the others?
3. What is the role of project management within the systems engineering concept?
4 Please try to answer these questions on your own first. In the back matter you will find answers;
however, we would admit other reasonable answers as well.
