Systems Engineering: Building Successful Systems

Howard Eisner

Jan 2011 · Synthesis Lectures on Engineering Book 14 · Morgan & Claypool Publishers

About this ebook

This book provides an overview of systems engineering, its important elements, and aspects of management that will lead in the direction of building systems with a greater likelihood of success. Emphasis is placed upon the following elements: - How the systems approach is defined, and how it guides the systems engineering processes - How systems thinking helps in combination with the systems approach and systems engineering - Time lines that define the life cycle dimensions of a system - System properties, attributes, features, measures and parameters - Approaches to architecting systems - Dealing with requirements, synthesis, analysis and cost effectiveness considerations - Life cycle costing of systems - Modeling, simulation and other analysis methods - Technology and its interplay with risk and its management - Systems acquisition and integration - Systems of systems - Thinking outside the box - Success and failure factors - Software engineering - Standards - Systems engineering management Together, these top-level aspects of systems engineering need to be understood and mastered in order to improve the way we build systems, as they typically become larger and more complex. Table of Contents: Definitions and Background / The Systems Approach / Systems Thinking / Key Elements of Systems Engineering / The Life Cycle Dimension / System Properties, Attributes and Features (PAFs) / Measures and Parameters / Architecting / Functional Decomposition / Requirements Engineering / Synthesis / Analysis / Cost-Effectiveness / Life Cycle Costing / Modeling and Simulation / Other Analysis Relationships / The Role of Technology / Risk Management / Testing, Verification, and Validation / Integration / Systems Engineering Management / Project Management / Software Engineering / Systems Acquisition / Systems of Systems / Thinking Outside the Box / Ten Failure Factors / A Success Audit / Standards

About the author

Harold Eisner received his B.E.E. from Columbia University, his M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, and his D.Sc. from The George Washington University. Eisner is a Distinguished Research Professor at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Previously, his professional experience included executive and research engineer positions with ORI, Inc. and the Atlantic Research Corporation. He has published two previous books on system and software engineering.Mr. Eisner is a Fellow of the IEEE, a senior member of the AIAA, a member of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Services (INFORMS), and a delegate to its American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES).