Page 266 - Mechanical Engineers' Handbook (Volume 2)

Mechanical Engineers’ Handbook: Instrumentation, Systems, Controls, and MEMS, Volume 2, Third Edition.

Edited by Myer Kutz

Copyright  2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

CHAPTER 9
SYSTEMS ENGINEERING:
ANALYSIS, DESIGN, AND
INFORMATION PROCESSING
FOR ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
Andrew P. Sage
School of Information Technology and Engineering
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
1 INTRODUCTION 257 5 SYSTEM DESIGN 285
5.1 The Purposes of Systems
2 THE SYSTEM LIFE CYCLE Design 285
AND FUNCTIONAL 5.2 Operational Environments
ELEMENTS OF SYSTEMS and Decision Situation
ENGINEERING 260 Models 287
5.3 The Development of Aids
3 SYSTEMS ENGINEERING for the Systems Design
OBJECTIVES 266 Process 288
5.4 Leadership Requirements
4 SYSTEMS ENGINEERING for Design 293
METHODOLOGY AND 5.5 System Evaluation 293
METHODS 267 5.6 Evaluation Test Instruments 296
4.1 Issue Formulation 267
4.2 Issue Analysis 273 6 CONCLUSIONS 296
4.3 Information Processing by
Humans and Organizations 278 REFERENCES 298
4.4 Interpretation 282
4.5 The Central Role of
Information in Systems
Engineering 284

1 INTRODUCTION
Systems engineering is a management technology. Technology involves the organization and
delivery of science for the (presumed) betterment of humankind. Management involves the
interaction of the organization, and the humans in the organization, with the environment.
Here, we interpret environment in a very general sense to include the complete external
milieu surrounding individuals and organizations. Hence, systems engineering as a manage-
ment technology involves three ingredients: science, organizations, and their environments.
Information, and knowledge, is ubiquitous throughout systems engineering and management
efforts and is, in reality, a fourth ingredient. Systems engineering is thus seen to involve
science, organizations and humans, environments, technologies, and information and knowl-
edge.
The process of systems engineering involves working with clients in order to assist them
in the organization of information and knowledge to aid in judgment and choice of activities

257