Publications
A SE VSE Company Use Case
Joseph W. Marvin, Garth V. Bailey, John J. Cadigan
This paper presents the company’s use of the INCOSE Very Small Entity Working Group Deployment Packages for research projects, engineering services and software development. Further tailoring of the Very Small Entity Working Group Deployment Packages derived from ISO/IEC Technical Report 29110 into a System of Research & Development Innovation is discussed. Finally, the current INCOSE Technical Operations policy review and update activity is presented as an example of applying Very Small Entity systems engineering process on INCOSE. The objective of the paper is to describe the application of an INCOSE technical product in the small business world.
Modeling-Simulation-Analysis-Looping: 21st Century Game Changer
Joseph W. Marvin, Jeffrey T. Schmitz, Robbie A. Reed
What if you could present to your boss and customers the expected performance characteristics of a new system in its target mission environment during concept development and before the first requirement or line of software is written? This paper follows up our IS 2014 paper, Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) in Complex System of Systems (SoS) Modeling and Simulation (M&S) Environments, and presents a new technique for system modeling and simulation that enhances insight and decision making based on quantified performance data. We describe how graph computing technology, readily available open source toolboxes and different systems thinking can “change the game” for systems engineers in the 21st Century.
Systems Engineering and Simulation Converging Towards Noble Causes
Bernard P. Zeigler, Joseph W. Marvin, John J. Cadigan
This paper highlights the accomplishments and shared vision between the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and the Modeling and Simulation community (represented by the Society for Modeling and Simulation, International (SCS), and Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO, among others). We describe convergence between the model-based systems engineering initiative of the INCOSE community and the model-based simulation developments of the SCS community. The goal is not only to highlight the outstanding accomplishments of our time, but also to emphasize the parallels and relationships. The paper is intended to enhance communications and facilitate the outreach already in motion. Modeling and Simulation (M&S) represents a core capability and need for addressing today’s complex and grand challenges. We suggest a collaboration of INCOSE and SCS, as leaders in the systems and M&S communities, to solve these challenges complicated by multi-dimensional, hierarchical, and uncertain Big Data and propelled by exascale computational platforms.
Systems Engineering International Standards and Support Tools for Very Small Enterprises
Claude Y. Laporte, Ronald Houde, Joseph Marvin
Very small entities are very important to the world-wide economy. The products they develop are often integrated into products made by larger enterprises. To address their needs, a set of ISO/IEC 29110 systems engineering standards and guides, such as a management and engineering guide, has been developed using ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288. The INCOSE systems engineering handbook is used as the main reference for the development of a set of systems engineering employment packages. A deployment package is a set of artefacts designed to facilitate the implementation of a standard or a set of practices in a very small entity. Two pilot projects using the new ISO/IEC 29110 are presented. A cost and benefits analysis from implementing ISO/IEC 29110 in an engineering firm is also presented as well as the future ISO/IEC 29110 management and engineering guide for start-ups and for projects requiring no more than six person-months of work. Finally, the certification scheme is discussed as well as future developments.
Quantitative SoS Architecture Modeling
Joseph W. Marvin, Robert K. Garrett Jr.
Improved techniques to develop future System of Systems solution architectures are a systems engineering imperative. The systems engineer must be able to produce quantitative Measures of Performance that parse good performing architectures from bad architectures in a very complex and dynamic domain often and early during concept development. This paper proposes innovative System of Systems Engineering techniques to manage risks and reduce costs in complex systems. We suggest a combination of graph theory, Big Data and Uncertainty Quantification are foundational tools that can model architectures and more importantly the movement of data across architecture interfaces. This provides a mathematical foundation for quantitative architecture, model based systems engineering and simulation environments enabling continuous prototype testing in a model environment. The result is a means to quantitatively validate viable complex architectures early in the lifecycle. This paper describes a graph-based approach to model complex architectures. Complexity will be defined mathematically as a function of the number of entities, inter-entity relationships and active event sequences in the graphical architecture. Uncertainty quantification compares the graph model to the physical System of Systems based on quantities of interest. Big Data facilitates analytics across continuous data threads in the architecture.
Uncertainty Quantification in Complex System of Systems Modeling and Simulation Environments
Joseph Marvin, Brad Morantz, Thomas Whalen, Ray Deiotte
Prevailing Modeling and Simulation (M&S) techniques have struggled to provide meaningful quantitative results in M&S of complex System of Systems (SoSs) in the face of an environment filled with complex interacting uncertainties. This paper reports on systems thinking applied to “how” M&S techniques should shift to allow a next generation of quantitative tools and techniques. The imperative is to provide quantitative performance results across the constituent interfaces in a modeled architecture. A five step statistical and parametric algorithm tool that addresses Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) is presented. [Improving the utility of UQ data evaluation] A quantitative approach to managing complex uncertainties across modeled interfaces using graph theory is proposed. A future vision for SoS Engineering (SoSE) that uses graph theory based modeling is suggested to improve the utility of tools such as UQ is suggested.
INCOSE Working Group Addresses System and Software Interfaces
Sarah Sheard, Leung Chim, Joseph Marvin, John Cadigan, Rita Creel, Michael E. Pafford
In the 21st century, when any sophisticated system has significant software content, it is increasingly critical to articulate and improve the interface between systems engineering and software engineering, i.e., the relationships between systems and software engineering technical and management processes, products, tools, and outcomes. Although systems engineers and software engineers perform similar activities and use similar processes, their primary responsibilities and concerns differ. Systems engineers focus on the global aspects of a system. Their responsibilities span the lifecycle and involve ensuring the various elements of a system—e.g., hardware, software, firmware, engineering environments, and operational environments—work together to deliver capability. Software engineers also have responsibilities that span the lifecycle, but their focus is on activities to ensure the software satisfies software‐relevant system requirements and constraints. Software engineers must maintain sufficient knowledge of the non‐software elements of the systems that will execute their software, as well as the systems their software must interface with. Similarly, systems engineers must maintain sufficient awareness of the software to enable early identification and resolution of software risks and issues driven by other system elements. Thus, to enable continued progress in creating and sustaining capability in complex, interconnected systems, systems and software engineers must commit to improving the interfaces between their disciplines, to aligning and integrating their terminology, processes, methods, and tools. Recognizing the need to improve the system engineering‐software engineering interface, INCOSE approved the charter of the System and Software Interface Working Group (SaSIWG) in 2017. At its initial meeting at the INCOSE International Symposium 2017 (IS 2017) in Adelaide, Australia, the SaSIWG derived working group objectives from lists of brainstormed systems and software issues. This paper documents the interface issues elicited, grouped into seven categories, along with system software interface use cases identified by SaSIWG members. The interface issues and use cases expose questions for the SaSIWG to prioritize and respond to. The paper concludes with a summary of the SaSIWG’s plan to respond to these questions and strengthen the interface between the systems engineering and software engineering disciplines.