The planning process starts with what the system is intended to do before it defines what the system is to be and how it is to be created.
The system must serve a useful purpose, and the product and its manufacturing system must match.
Cooperation and a clear understanding of responsibilities are necessary to working effectively together--both within the project and with the stakeholders |
The high-level responsibilities for the three key management areas
Project Management
Planning - make sure there is a comprehensive plan for the project (both time and costs).
Resources – make sure resources are identified and applied appropriately as required for the plan.
Risks Mitigation – make sure risks have been identified and dealt with appropriately.
Communications – make sure all the stakeholders in the project know what they need (and expect) to know.
System Engineering Management
Technical Span – make sure the breadth of the technical analysis is appropriate.
Technical Analysis – make sure the appropriate skills are applied at the thoroughness required.
Technical Documentation – make sure the design basis is captured and traceable.
System Architecting
Project Deliverables – make sure the results satisfy the initial need that drove the project.
Organization Preparation – make sure the change being delivered will thrive in the organization or culture that it is intended to help.
The SEMP (Systems Engineering Management Plan) or sometimes called the SEP (Systems Engineering Plan constitutes the top-level, integrating engineering document.
The SEMP typically has three parts:
Part 1: Technical program planning, implementation, and control activities needed to insure the overall system engineering management objectives are achieved.
Part 2: System engineering process activities required to move the project requirements into the final product configuration.
Part 3: Engineering specialty integration into the mainstream engineering design and development efforts.
Organizational information and system development data management requirements need to be clearly defined and visible in order to manage the system engineering activities on a day-to-day basis.
The data system must include both technical and program administrative information. The right information, at the right time, in the right format, and at the right cost must be provided.
The Systems Engineering Management Plan combined with the System Specification and the demonstration of the conceptual design (Functional Baseline) constitute the technical gate requirements for passing from the Conceptual Design Phase to the Preliminary Design phase.
There has to be a continuing evaluation within the overall spectrum of system engineering organization activities.
The Organizational Development Plan or a plan for improvement should include specific benchmark target objectives, the allowable time period for achieving the objectives, the approach alternatives, the required resources, and the preferred approach.
Take the time to review http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oce/appel/pm-development/pm_se_competency_framework.html for a framework that is used to link project management to systems management.
In addition, (http://www.aero.org/education/tai/documents/ArtSciSystArchitect.pdf and http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oce/appel/ask-academy/issues/ask-oce/AO_2-2_SF_chief.html) provide additional background.
A top-down, integrated, Life cycle approach to system design and development must be established from the beginning including when system requirements are first identified, when system architecture is initially defined, when program tasks are initially described, and when a project management approach is defined. |
