Possible Research Topics

The following list of topics is organized in accordance with the SECOE research agenda:

• 1.0 Value of Systems Engineering - develop knowledge to quantify the value of systems engineering
• 2.0 Systems Engineering Processes and Process Improvement - develop a theoretically sound and fully connected set of useful processes
• 3.0 Systems Engineering Methods - develop a theoretical basis for known methods while extending the processes with new theories and new methods
• 4.0 Systems Engineering Automation - analysis and proof of automation effectiveness when applied to specific methods under specific conditions
• 5.0 Human Issues in Systems - research into the impacts of human issues on systems
• 6.0 Human Issues in Systems Engineering - develop and prove methods for the creation of effective engineering teams

1.0 Value of Systems Engineering

• Develop a case study methodology (like the Harvard Business School) that will provide a justifiable basis for estimating benefits of Systems Engineering using data from previous, real projects
  • Create a process for entering cases into a repository that guarantees contributors anonymity of data
  • Define the data elements of cases that provides realistic trade offs between data elements needed for analysis and data capture costs
  • Develop method for eliciting data elements from project members when data is not already captured
• Characterize many major projects in terms of how successful they were in terms of meeting explicit requirements, emergent requirements, system complexity, and how explicit was the Systems Engineering. Statistical analysis of SE elements (Requirements management, risk management, system analysis, etc.) against project size/success.
• Develop a cost justification for varying levels of Systems Engineering process elements (e.g., requirements development, architecture specification, interface definition and management, test planning, and risk management and analysis)
• Develop a cost justification for Systems Engineering vs. capability levels of the Systems Engineering organization. Use these results to quantify the productivity of SE, the cost of SE quality (and non-quality). Relate these results to performance and schedule issues.
• Develop the relative cost of requirements changes, especially those requirements that have design content vs. those that are design-independent.

2.0 SE Processes and Process Improvement

• Construct executable models of the SE process using various modeling methods (e.g., systems dynamics). Use these models to establish priorities for tailoring the SE process as a function of the design problem and organization's capabilities.
• Combine the results of the cost justification of SE processes with the executable models of SE processes to develop utility functions for the expenditure of money and time in each of area of the SE process - needs to be context dependent and domain dependent.
• Develop answers for how to compress the Systems Engineering process, with sensitivity analyses to define what is lost by the compression.
• Develop predictions of the quality associated with differing levels of maturity.
• Develop models of the production, integration, and flow of information within the system development process. Combine these models with the executable models of the SE process to enhance the value of their predictions.
• Develop a level of abstraction taxonomy for design that begins with a "glint-in-the eye" through to the design concept. This abstraction taxonomy includes references to control flow, data flow, functional flow.
• Combine theories of Systems Engineering process and the characteristics of design problems to produce the most cost-effective SE process for specific design problems.

3.0 SE Methods

3.1 Design Techniques

• Search for a grand unification theory for the development of man-made systems.
• Develop a topology of systems that addresses single vs. multi-mission, one of a kind vs. product line, etc.
• Develop a topology of development environments that addresses single developer vs. integrator with complex supply chain, large developer vs. small developer, etc.
• Develop an interface between Systems Engineering and software engineering that is based on the first principles of both systems and software engineering and includes both a unified language and integrated methods. Include transitions for effective inclusion and integration of Software and Systems Engineering.
• Compare and contrast allocation methods and techniques for allocating functions to components in design based upon performance and cost requirements. Conduct an empirical examination of these methods. Specify a method for the optimum allocation to hardware and software elements based upon the performance and cost characteristics of hardware and software; predict crossover points in these allocations as technology progresses.
• Develop an integrated theory of creativity for use throughout the development process, from development of originating requirements through analysis of acceptance test results.
• Develop a standardized set of functionalities common to all systems and package as a body of analyzed and described plug-and-plays for functional decomposition.
• Define, compare and contrast alternate object-oriented Systems Engineering methods. Define which problem characteristics make each method preferred.
• Apply mathematical system theory to the analysis of objects.
• Develop software performance analysis methods to predict key metrics such as throughput for use in the SE design process.
• Develop interface management tools that include requirements allocation, and performance and cost trades. Extend these tools to address tradeoffs across interfaces of a system composed of various elements.
• Develop the theoretical constructs to analyze the interface implications of nested feedback loops.
• Develop formal methods for stating requirements and a formal proof-of-correctness method for requirements. These formal methods must overcome the weakness of language as a representation for requirements. These formal methods should apply to systems as opposed to just software.
• Create a mathematical representation of a system's inputs, outputs, functions and components for use in system specification and design.
• Develop a formal method for combining verification test results with validation test results and both with acceptance test results.
• Object Orientation in Systems Engineering.
  • Capability Maturity Modelling and Assessments with OO
  • OO for Integration of Software and Systems
  • What is OO to Systems Engineering?
  • OO in Systems Engineering WorkProduct Development

3.2 Cost Issues

• Develop a cost estimation method.
• Define a relationship between number of mission functions and cost. Address the definition of number of mission functions. Relate cost and schedule.
• Define a relationship between number of requirements and cost, similar to the function point idea in software Address the definition of number of requirements. Relate cost and schedule.
• Define a relationship between design parameters and cost, including variability of cost. Extend existing tools beyond static and incomplete relationships that are tied to specific technologies. Relate cost to schedule.
• Establish a relationship between specific requirement categories and the cost of implementation of that requirement for application during requirements discovery and selection

3.3 Risk and Trade Techniques

• Develop a robust application method of decision theory for system trade-offs that iterates between trade-off decisions and requirements definition and management.
• Develop an integrated risk analysis method for product architecture development.

4.0 SE Automation

• Develop simulation tools for computer-based simulation of Systems Engineering processes, focused on comprehensive and correct engineering.
• Develop a tool that manages the allocation of resources for verification, validation and acceptance testing.
• Develop a tool that implements the robust application method of decision theory for system trade-offs.
• Develop a tool that implements the integrated risk analysis method for product architecture development.
• Evaluate the costs and benefits of SE tools in the various stages of the development life cycle. Establish the most appropriate stages in the life cycle for each tool.
• Develop a standard interface that allows SE tools to integrate with legacy and COTS products.
• Develop a set of case studies for use in evaluating the relative cost and effectiveness of alternate SE tools. Perform a periodic assessment of SE tools on these case studies and publish.

5.0 Human Issues in SE

• Develop models of stakeholders and apply to the quality of the elicitation of requirements and the maintenance of stakeholder buy-in (i.e. political engineering).
• Industrial and organizational psychology applied to the use of systems
• Cognitive psychology applied to systems applications

6.0 SE Management and Personnel Development

• Examine and contrast theories of human systems and how they create products. Define the positives and negatives of alternate human systems for characteristics of product quality.
• Industrial and organizational psychology applied to technical teams
• Cognitive psychology as applied to system design
• Conduct an empirical analysis of product development teams vs. hierarchical management structures. (Answer the question of the value of a person called the "system engineer" on a project.)
• Characterize how Systems Engineering is actually organized and done across a wide spectrum of engineering organizations and system application areas (e.g., telecommunications, aircraft, information technology).
• Identify and define Systems Engineering skill codes and associated requirements for each. Link these skill codes to the Systems Engineering process. Establish metrics for each skill code that distinguish capability levels of varying individuals within a skill code.
• Examine hypothesis that process is more important than knowledge and experienced people.
• Conduct empirical research on the optimum size of a team in the Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment. Develop a theory for segmenting a system to foster the most effective size of IPTs.
• Examine and contrast theories to instill a shared vision in a team. Conduct empirical research of alternate methods for instilling a shared vision into a team.
• Develop interactive management techniques for complex system design projects. (See John Warfield's book on systems.)

Page last modified 11 Feb 01