PART 2
SYSTEMS, CONTROLS,
AND MEMS
257
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
2 THE SYSTEM LIFE CYCLE
AND FUNCTIONAL
ELEMENTS OF SYSTEMS
ENGINEERING
260
3 SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
OBJECTIVES
266
4 SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
METHODOLOGY AND
METHODS
267
4.1
Issue Formulation
267
4.2
Issue Analysis
273
4.3
Information Processing by
Humans and Organizations
278
4.4
Interpretation
282
4.5 The Central Role of
Information in Systems
Engineering
284
5 SYSTEM DESIGN
285
5.1 The Purposes of Systems
Design
285
5.2 Operational Environments
and Decision Situation
Models
287
5.3 The Development of Aids
for the Systems Design
Process
288
5.4 Leadership Requirements
for Design
293
5.5 System Evaluation
293
5.6 Evaluation Test Instruments
296
6 CONCLUSIONS
296
REFERENCES
298
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
Mechanical Engineers’ Handbook: Instrumentation, Systems, Controls, and MEMS, Volume 2, Third