Chapter 4.8-4.11

System

An aggregation of system elements & enabling system elements that achieves a given purpose or provides a needed capability

System Elements

Configuration items, subsystems, segments, components, assemblies, & parts

Enabling System Elements

Provide means for delivering a capability into service. (Hardware, software, people, data, processes, facilities, & tools)

Standard

Establishes uniform engineering or technical criteria, method as, processes, & practices (MIL-STD-962)

Specification

Describes essential technical requirements,ents for material & the criteria for determining whether those requirements are met (MIL-STD-961)

Systems Engineering

Design & management of a total system that includes hardware, software & interoperability

Science & Technology

Demonstrates new & emerging technologies that have a direct application to military systems

Test & Evaluation

Compares a system or components against requirements & specifications through testing

Developmental Test & Evaluation

An engineering tool used to verify that the system meets design specifications

Operational Test & Evaluation

Performed by typical users of a system under realistic operational conditions to validate that the system meets user requirements

Life Cycle Logistics (LCL)

A multifunctional, technical management discipline associated with the entire life cycle of a system; integral part of system’s design requirements. Infrastructure elements necessary for the initial fielding & operational support of the system

Production, Quality & Manufacturing (PQM)

To ensure the producibility of the system design. Ease of manufacturing an item or system. Reduces both schedule & cost risks

Hardware/Software Engineering

The application of systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, & maintenance of hardware & software (all activities performed to support the translation of a user need into a product)

Define the design

GOV: Establishes system-level performance thresholds & objectives

KTR: Allocates system-level performance thresholds & objectives to subsystems & lower level design specifications

Monitor the design

GOV: Monitors program technical progress through IPTs, technical reviews, & periodic program reviews

KTR: Manages & integrates technical design progress using internal management standards

Assure design quality

GOV: Verifies contractor performance through review & approval of contractor technical deliverables

KTR: Validates internal & subcontractor technical performance through established quality-control standards

Test the design

GOV: Verifies system performance through conduct of development or operational testing

KTR: Verifies component/system performance through internal testing & participation in Government developmental testing

Federally Funded Research & Development Centers (FFRDC)

Part of a “three-legged stool” that drives innovation & problem solving for Government agencies by conducting research, technology development, system acquisition, & policy guidance; 70% or more of it financial support from government

Government Innovation & Problem Solving

“Three-Legged Stool” Commercial Industry, Government Employees, & Academic & Non-Profit Organizations

Basic Research

Funds are used for scientific study & experimentation (tends to take longer)

Applied Research

Funds pay for projects that apply Basic Research finding to real-world problems to get generate & test new technologies with potential military utility (includes studies, developing subsystems, & establishing the feasibility proposed solutions

Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD)

Funds are used to demonstrate the military utility of completed applied research projects. (Demonstrates the feasibility & maturity of new technologies & reduces technical risk)

Systems Engineering Plan (SEP)

“Who, what, when, why & how”, Program organization with roles & responsibilities authority, accountability & staffing resources (Assists PMs in communicating & managing the overall SE approach that guides all technical activities)

Preliminary Design Review (PDR)

Takes place in the TMRR phase; must be completed prior to Milestone B & contract award for the EMD Phase (confirms allocated baseline & readiness)

Critical Design Review (CDR)

Takes place during the EMD phase; confirms the initial product baseline & detailed design

Alternative System Review (ASR)

An assessment to ensure that the resulting set of technical requirements agrees with the users’ needs & expectation; proceed into TMRR phase

System Requirements Review (SRR)

Ascertains progress in defining system technical requirements & ensures the Government & the contractors have communicated clearly & have mutual understanding of the requirements

System Funtional Review (SFR)

A formal review of the conceptual design that establishes the functional baseline & ensures the system under review can proceed into preliminary design

Test Readiness Review (TRR)

Happens prior to major test events or phases to ensure all planning, equipment, support assets & personnel are ready for the testing

Functional Configuration Audit (FCA)

Examines the functional characteristics of the configured product & verifies that product has met, via test results, the requirements specified in its functional baseline documentation approved at the PDR & CDR

System Verification Review (SVR)

Verifies final product performance ; audit train from CDR

Production Readiness Review (PRR)

An examination to determine if the design is ready for production & there is adequate production planning that has not incurred unacceptable risk

Physical Configuration Audit (PCA)

“Physical Hands-On” audit that verifies the product is consistent with all baseline documentation

Technical Processes

The order in which the eight Technical Processes are applied form the “V” shape of the Systems Engineering model

Stakeholder Requirements Definition process

The lead Service, Component, or designated program office receives requirements from relevant stakeholders & translates them into a set of technical requirements

Requirements Analysis Process

Involves the decomposition of user needs into clear, achievable, & verifiable high-level requirements & system functions

Architecture Design Process

A process that allows the Program Manager & Systems Engineer to translate the outputs of the Stakeholder requirements Definition & Requirements Analysis processes into alternative design solutions & establishes the architectural design of candidate solutions that may be found in a system model

Implementation Process

Takes detailed requirements, interfaces & architecture & creates the actual system element needed to meet them

Integration Process

Systematically assemble lower-level system elements into successively higher-level system elements until the system itself emerges (essential to increasing system maturity & reduce risk)

Verification Process

Evidence that the system or system elements performs its intended functions & meet all performance requirements; Developmental Testing (DT) of the system

Validation Process

Provides objective evidence that the capability complies with stakeholder performance requirements in its intended operational environment (Is it the right solution to the problem?); Operational Testing (OT)

Transistion Process

The process applied to move any system element to the next level in the physical architecture. (Field the system to the user)

Technical Management Processes

Form a “tool kit” used to help manage, control, & provide balance in the execution of the eight Technical Processes

Modeling & Simulation (M&S)

Helps decision-makers without making a physical change to the system

Technical Performance Measures (TPM)

Documents the progress of high-risk, critical technical performance metrics over time by comparing values to expected values. (Signal strength/Weight)

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Can identify processes & sub-components that are associated with each product

Commercial Item

Customarily used for non-governmental purposes & are offered for sale, lease, or license to the general public. (Maintenance, repair, training)

Commercially off-the-shelf (COTS)

Describes commercial items that have no modification.A commercial item sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace & offered to the Government under a contract

Configuration Management

The means by which a design is controlled as it is transformed from a top=level concept into a detailed design

Functional Baseline

Highest-level; which includes the overall system specifications. (Mission & technical performance requirements)

Allocated Baseline

Defines design requirements for configuration items below the system level. (Item Performance specifications)

Product Baseline

Lowest Level; includes the design requirements that specify how to build the system; ‘build to’ - (Details of processes, procedures, & materials used in fabrication)

Open Systems Architecture

Uses standard design features & interfaces that are compatible with many other products

Human Systems Integration (HSI)

Critical in maintainability design & it directly affects MTTR. (Accessibility, Visibility, Testability, & Standardization)

Accessibility

Can the part be easily reached for repair?

Visibility

Can the part being worked on be easily seen?

Testability

Can faults be easily detected?

Standardization

Are the parts interchangeable & can standard tools be used?

Affordable System Operational Effectiveness (ASOE)

The composite of performance, availability, process efficiency & Life Cycle Cost (LCC); influences early design

System Design for Operational Effectiveness (SDOE)

Focuses on the impact of reliability & maintainability design parameter & their role in operational effectiveness & suitability requirements

Supply Chain Model

Focuses on the logistics activities that enable effective sustainment

Operational Software Architecture Design

Identifies Warefighter Information Needs

Technical Software Architecture Design

Identifies Hardware & Software Interaction

Systems Software Architecture Design

Physical Structure Information Flows

Waterfall Paradigm

Implemented using a sequential process; each stage is a prerequisite for succeeding activities

Spiral Model

A risk-driven prototyping approach to software development

Incremental Paradigm

Involves developing “pieces” of the software for a system in a series of incremental steps

Agile Development Paradigm

Focuses on rapid, iterative development & delivery of software with active user engagements

Software Resilience

The ability to prepare for & adapt to changing conditions. Ability to withstand & recover from deliberate attacks, accidents, or naturally occurring threats & incidents occurring threats & incidents

Development Process Protections

Threat assessment & modeling, Secure design & costing standards, Static analysis & coding inspections to enforce coding standards

Operational System Protections

Failover multiply supplier redundancy, Fault isolation, Least Privilege, System element isolation, Input checking/validation

DevSecOps

People, Process, & Tools; focuses on rapid iterative development teams, & active user engagement

Cloud Computiing

A foundational enabler to modern software practices, like DevSecOps (scalability, flexibility, & automation capabilities)

Digital Acquisition

An integrated digital approach that uses authoritative sources of system, data, & models to support life cycle activities form concept through disposal. Enables efficient knowledge sharing & assessment of trade space

Digital Twin

An example of a model developed to create an accurate functioning virtual replica of a future system & test it under multiple scenarios

Capability Maturity Model Integration for Development (CMMI-DEV)

Provides guidance for managing, measuring & monitoring development processes

CMMI-SVC

Provides guidance for delivering services within organizations & external customers

CMMI-ACQ

Provides guidance to enable informed & decisive acquisition leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Aims to make efficient use of materials, minimize waste, increase responsiveness to change & stabilize process control

Statistical Process Control

Techniques reduce variability, improve performance & decrease costs

Special Variation

The result of a unique, such as a lightening strike

Common Variation

The operation of a machine results in random vibrations, which are an inherent part of the process

The 5Ms

Machinery, manpower, Material, Measurement, & Method

Test

Program, procedure, or process to obtain, verify, or provide data for determining the degree to which the system meets, exceeds, or fails to meet its stated capabilities

Evaluate

review, analysis 7 assessment of data obtained form testing used to project system performance under operational conditions

Thresholds

Minimum acceptable value to the user supported by analysis for a system capability. Anything less than the threshold may not satisfy the mission need

Objective

Desired value “better” than the threshold that results in an operationally meaningful, cost-effective & affordable improvement in capability

Test & Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP)

Documents the test management plan & framework within which detailed Test & Evaluation (T&E) plans are contained

Critical Technical Parameters (CTP)

Are the engineering design factors that a system must meet or exceed to ensure that established performance thresholds are achieved

Critical Operational Issues (COIs)

Top-level issues that must be examined in OT&E to determine the system’s capability to perform its mission. Part III in TEMP. Effectiveness & Suitability

Measures of Effectiveness & Suitability (MOEs & MOSs)

Derived from the Critical Operational Issues (COI) developed in Operational Test & Evaluation plans & planning processes

Life Cycle Sustainment

A highly supportable system by integrating sustainment considerations into planning, implementation, management & oversight

Product Support Manager (PSM)

Focuses on identifying, developing, implementing, incentivizing & measuring quantifiable best value outcome-based product support solutions that optimize Life Cycle Costs (LLC) & readiness

Life Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP)

A living document describing the approach & resources necessary to develop & integrate sustainment into the systems design development, testing, deployment & sustainment phases

Reliability

The probability that an item can perform its intended function for a specified interval under the stated conditions

Maintainability

The measure of an items ability to be retained in or restored to a specified condition when maintenance is performed by skilled personnel using the correct procedures & resources

Availability

A measure of the degree to which an item is in the operable & committable state at the start of a mission when the mission is called for at an unknown (random) time

Operational Availability

The portion of time the item or system is available to perform its mission considering the three critical factors of reliability, maintainability, & supportability