SystemEngineering

Workshop 1: System Analysis and Professional Practice

Relevant material:

• Week 1: System life-cycle engineering
• M01: Professional Reflection Self-Study Module

Introduction

This course is about designing complex engineered systems. Such systems cannot be designed by trial and error or repeated prototyping. The design approach must be structured, forward looking, efficient, and effective.

A key step in designing complex systems is the ability to classify and describe them. There are two important descriptions of systems:

• Functional descriptions capture the actions and processes that define the operation of a system

• Physical descriptions capture the components, modules, subsystems, and implementation that define the operation of a system

This tute covers material associated with the high level classification of systems leading to more detailed descriptions of systems.

At the end of the tutorial you will cover the theory behind the process of professional reflection and do an exercise to help with the three reflections that you will be doing to improve your professional practice in this course.

Activity 1: Analyse an existing System

Choose an example of an existing engineered system.

1. Classify the system according to Built/Natural, Physical/Process/Conceptual, Static/Dynamic, Open/Closed.
2. Identify the system’s purpose and who would be the client?
3. Identify subsystems and components of the system.

Activity 2: Function versus Form

1. Identify the functions that are realised by the subsystems and components of the system considered. Try and keep things relatively simple – around 5-7 functions at most.
2. Identify the system boundary and the inputs and outputs.

Take the resulting functional decomposition of the system. See if you can find an alternative realisation of the function of the system in a different system architecture.

Activity 3: Professional Reflection

Discuss the when, what, why for professional reflection.

In your groups, workshop individual experiences or events you have experienced that would be appropriate for professional reflection.

The activity will finish with a group discussion of the ANU template for professional reflection as outlined in the self-study module M01.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify different types of systems through key behaviours and functionality
2. Recognise the difference between function and form.
3. Develop professional reflection skills.

Additional Reading

1. US DoD Systems Engineering Fundamentals
   • Chapter 1: Introduction to Systems Engineering Management (pages 3 to 10)
2. M01: Professional Reflection Self Study Module