ABSTRACT
In spite of the many design and analysis tools available in the field and many presented in this book, the demand for better tools is growing more acute because of the increasing demand for more complex products One primary reason for the increasing demand for complex products is the increase in the integration of digital technologies, software, and human factors in hardware Digital technologies with ever-increasing computing power and miniaturization of microprocessors and the advances in fields such as sensors, actuators, wireless communications, global positioning technologies, and Internet are creating new opportunities to develop complex products Many of the new products offer programmable and reconfigurable features that offer further flexibility in their applications This chapter also discusses challenges and future research needs for improved and faster applications of systems engineering Some information is also included on a related and important issue of how to teach systems engineering and its concepts to our future students
The challenges facing systems engineering are many (Boehm, 2005, 2006; Kamrani and Azimi, 2011) Some of issues related to the challenges are presented as follows:
1 Customers are getting more sophisticated and as a result are expecting products with more features, service, upgradability, connectivity, and integrated functioning with other products or systems
2 Program management is facing increasing pressures to reduce costs and timings of most program activities The pressures on program managers are due to reasons such as scarcity of capital, increased competition, and customer expectations of “doing it right the first time”
3 The software development task in many complex products (eg, aircrafts) is much more complex and time consuming than their hardware development This requires increased resources in the integration of software engineering and systems engineering The growth of software is also much faster and larger than hardware development (eg, Augustine’s law,
which states that software grows by an order of magnitude every 10 years) (Nidiffer, 2007)
4 The increased digital communication speed (eg, terabits per second) allows for greater and higher levels of communication (eg, voice, video, and net meetings facilitating virtual presence) worldwide quickly in highly structured database environments Thus, cyberspace and physical space are increasingly intertwined
5 Demands for complex systems (or products) and higher level “system of systems” configurations are increasingly becoming more common This requires applications of systems engineering concepts and techniques early in the development of systems
6 As the systems are becoming more complex, there is an increasing demand from human factors engineers to reduce systems complexity in future systems This demand is also driven by the trends in making products more compact (in part by miniaturizing of microprocessors), adding more features, and providing higher flexibility and programmability in product functions
7 Greater emphasis on the involvement of multifunctional teams (including human factors engineering) has led to the development of more coordinated product designs and creative user interfaces
8 Systems engineering is recognized as an important discipline Increased customer requests for systems engineering support in earlier part of the product life cycle has increased demands for systems engineers
9 Globalization in product design has become more common due to greater connectivity between designers, producers, and suppliers; economies of scale; and capability to outsource and to reduce costs and timings (Friedman, 2005)
The need to create more integrated tools to undertake systems engineering functions has also increased However, the market for generalized and more integrated tools is still small because of the enormous costs in developing such software tools
Some areas of needed software capabilities are as follows: (1) relational database management with capability to manage components, systems, functions, requirements, interfaces, and traceability; (2) graphical editing and browsing; (3) expert system capability with reasoning and knowledge base; (4) system decomposition and block diagramming capabilities; (5) modeling, simulation, and prototyping; (6) distributed networks with import/export capability to interact with many currently available computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided engineering (CAE), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) applications (new data exchange standards and file compatibility and transparency will greatly reduce these data exchange problems); (7) document generators; and (8) free and open source software with different toolkits for flexibility in software development and cost reduction
Tools to enable management of many product attribute requirements and interactions between many systems and multidisciplinary considerations and trade-offs are also seriously lacking
The reasons for the problem are as follows:
1 Many of the issues are design dependent (ie, the problems depend on the solution that in turn depends on the selected design approach and type of technology considered; eg, the problems in the development of lightemitting diode lamps are entirely different from those involving tungsten filament lamps)
2 The interactions and trade-offs between different variables are not explicitly available and thus are not modeled for computerized tool development
3 High cost of tool development and limited applicability of the tools across different product industries (eg, an automated packaging tool for engine packaging [or fuel tank packaging] in the automotive industry will not be useful for packaging engines in the aircraft industry) Furthermore, many organizations have their own management processes and the level of depth and details considered are very different between different organizations
When complex products are designed in different countries, coordination and communication between teams located in different countries becomes more challenging The team members need to understand cultural and economic differences between different countries but agree on common goals and requirements of the product Interfacing systems designed by different teams in different countries are especially challenging because they need to have constant communication to understand detailed design issues of the interfaces while realizing the productlevel goals Use of common design tools, databases, and constant communication methods such as team design meetings and management reviews are very important In addition, use of common project management tools, immediate access to the latest approved designs to all, tight control over change management systems, transparencies, and traceability of all product decisions would help the teams stay on a single course
Sharing of common entities (ie, components, subsystems, and systems) presently available and used in many models of the products can reduce time and costs in developing any new unique shared entities One major disadvantage of entity sharing is that it does not allow incorporation of new improvements (eg, due to advances in new technologies) as the changes may affect all other existing
products Furthermore, the customers may realize that the new product is not any better than the previous or other versions of the products that share these common entities
When a product is designed in a modular configuration, many of the modules can be designed with common interfaces so that the modules can be easily interfaced and still provide different functionality by exchanging one module with another with different capabilities (eg, battery packs with different battery types but with common connecting interfaces) Use of modular configurations can reduce development time and can provide ability to create greater product variety The modularization can also help in reducing service and maintenance times as one module can be simply swapped with another of the same or a different capacity according to usage needs and schedules
The use of common data files to store product design for CAD as well as CAE and CAM is needed Such commonization can allow conducting specialized engineering analyses (eg, structural analysis, fluid flow analyses, and thermal analyses) and manufacturing tasks (eg, to program a tool cutter path to produce a part) by sharing the same data files Computerization is generally costly and resource limited, but many engineering analysis software systems are now available Advances in parametric analyses allow the designers to make quick changes in product configurations Of course, humans with specialized knowledge are always needed to work with such integrated computer-assisted technologies
With the increase in complexity in future products and systems, human factors engineering will need to play a key role in simplifying features and user interfaces so that the products will be easier to learn and use Many advances in new technologies can be used to accomplish ergonomics goals Some examples of possible features are (1) providing flexibility through the use of programmable or reconfigurable displays and controls, (2) use of remote controls that can be activated through wireless and Internet technologies, (3) smart displays that provide processed information on current state of the product and recommended actions to maintain required functional state, (4) voice controls to reduce manual workloads, (5) providing user aids with artificial intelligence capabilities, (6) diagnostics capabilities during malfunctions, (7) automatic takeover of the product functions and safe shutdown capability in case of emergency, and so on Users should also be able to personalize their settings so that needed functions can be performed quickly Thus, future systems cannot only be convenient,
comfortable, and safe but also reduce operator workload under normal usage and emergency situations and thus make the products less stressful and more enjoyable to use
Many new and emerging technologies should be considered during the development of new technology implementation plan in the very early stages of product planning The cost of development of new technologies, development time, and the probability of successful implementation of the new technologies are always the major issues Depending on the product and its proposed functional characteristics, many new technologies can be considered from new materials development and new hardware configurations to digital data communications, advances in microprocessors, their configurations, computers, software, and so on Some issues related to the implementation of new technologies are (1) trade-offs between costs and timings, (2) trade-offs between reliability and complexity, (3) fully automated functionality versus human intervention and takeover of controls during emergency or malfunctions, and (4) operator preferences related to new technology features
Due to the many future advances discussed in the preceding discussion, the demand for systems engineers is expected to be very strong with challenging opportunities for career growth Many systems engineering programs taught in the universities have specialized courses that offer the students not only opportunities to understand the problem-solving approaches and available tools but also opportunities to work in multidisciplinary team environments, work alongside the industry specialists, and apply the concepts and tools to develop integrated solutions The students are thus better prepared to use the latest tools and technologies to turn complex ideas into reality
Some important and desired characteristics of systems engineers are as follows:
1 Must be a strong team player and must have team management skills 2 Must have abilities to understand the “big picture” and also must be able to
work with many details 3 Must have the ability to understand multiple disciplines and must possess
diverse technical skills 4 Must have formal training in systems engineering processes and techniques
(eg, covered in this book) and some work experience in product programs 5 Must be a good communicator 6 Must understand program management and have the ability to work on time
and within budgetary constraints
7 Must be willing to take on responsibilities and take risks 8 Must be comfortable with uncertainty and constantly changing work environments 9 Must be adaptable and willing to learn new issues 10 Must have the ability to integrate a number of requirements and understand
trade-offs
Teaching systems engineering is challenging as designing complex products requires integrated considerations from many disciplines simultaneously Integration requires team effort and understanding trade-offs and prioritizing requirements The author has been offering an automotive systems engineering course at the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus Dearborn, Michigan, for many years The course is titled “Automobile-An Integrated System” The objectives of this course are to cover the following topics in an integrated manner:
1 Systems engineering approach and its implementation 2 Product development processes 3 Automobile and its systems 4 Development of vehicle specifications 5 Tools and methods used in automotive product development 6 Multidisciplinary nature of decision making and problems facing the auto
industry 7 Automotive production systems 8 Concepts of total quality management, “creating quality,” and “variability
reduction”
The semester-long (14-week) course includes lectures and project work The following topics are covered in the lectures:
1 Introduction, vehicle design process, and systems engineering 2 Quality, benchmarking, and quality function deployment (QFD) 3 Vehicle systems review 4 Product planning and project costs 5 Attributes, requirements, vehicle systems, interfaces, and systems engineering
process 6 Decision models, costs, trade-offs, and timings 7 Business plan development 8 Vehicle design packaging and trade-offs 9 Production systems and vehicle assembly 10 Design trends and new technologies 11 Regulations, standards, and vehicle evaluations 12 Program planning and management
The lecture material was supplemented with case studies and examples of integration issues Several videos on Boeing 777 product development and automotive
assembly were also shown in the class (see Chapter 18, case study 6) The students were required to complete seven class projects in teams of two to three students The handouts of the seven projects are presented in Appendices 1 through 7 The handouts provided objectives of each project, tasks to perform in each step, and requirements on the class presentations and project reports The seven projects provided the students with opportunities to discuss and perform various tasks related to vehicle design, development, business planning, and the applications of many of the systems engineering tools covered in Section III of this book
The overall objectives of the projects were as follows:
1 To provide the students the background and a working knowledge of steps involved in planning and designing an automotive product such as a car, a truck, or a sport utility vehicle
2 To gather data on product design issues and conduct analyses using the methods covered in this class
3 Create class discussions on vehicle development and systems engineering applications through student project presentations
The objectives discussed in the previous section were accomplished by conducting the following seven projects (the percentage of the grade assigned to each project is shown in parentheses):
1 Project 1: review of case studies on a product development of a less complex product (cyclone grinder) and an automotive product (smart car) (10% of grade) (see Chapter 18, case studies 4 and 5)
2 Project 2: benchmarking, QFD, and design specifications of a future automotive product (10% of grade)
3 Project 3: vehicle systems analyses: Requirements, interfaces, trade-offs, and verification (10% of grade)
4 Project 4: midterm report containing a business plan and a systems management engineering plan for the proposed vehicle (25% of grade)
5 Project 5: conceptual design of the vehicle (10% of grade) 6 Project 6: trends in new technologies, applications, and assembly details
(10% of grade) 7 Project 7: final report on the project: vehicle brochure illustrating specifica-
tions, design, features/options, and validation plan (25% of grade)
Students were encouraged to work in a team of two or three to gather data on various issues and conduct analyses that would be common to their vehicle platform, shared systems (or components), and assembly operations The distance learning (online) students could also work with students in the campus class
Each team was required to submit a written report for each project on a specified date provided in the course schedule In addition, the teams were asked to present their accomplishments in the class by making short presentations The students made short (5-10 minutes) PowerPoint presentations on the highlights of their projects 2, 3, 5, and 6 in the class Each student was also required to make about a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation on his or her midterm (project 4) and final (project 7) reports in the class on the report due dates
Projects 2 through 7 were based on a target vehicle that the students were asked to select for their projects The selection of the target vehicle was based on (1) a current automotive product that the student team would enjoy in developing its future model and (2) have access to its recent model for the entire semester to use it as the reference vehicle to study for the entire set of projects (eg, to study its layout, packaging of occupants, hardware and storage areas, configurations of systems and their interfaces with other systems, take pictures, and make measurements) The target vehicle was assumed to be introduced in the US market in 5 years as a 2017 model year vehicle Each student working in a team was asked to select a different target vehicle that can be a variation (eg, a different body style, type of powertrain [electric vs internal combustion], or brand) of the selected reference vehicle
Brief descriptions of the contents of each project are given here Additional information is provided in Appendices 1 through 7
Project 1: Introduction to product development and automotive production
• Review a case study on product development of a less complex product (Ingersoll Rand Cyclone Grinder; see Chapter 18, Case study 4)
• Review a case study on an automotive product (smart vehicle development and assembly; see Chapter 18, Case study 5)
• Study customer needs and engineering specifications of complex products • Decompose the product into systems, subsystems, and components • Understand product development process and development issues
Project 2: Develop design specifications
• Select a target vehicle (type, size, and market segment) and make assumptions related to its organizations (the automotive company and suppliers), their resources, constraints, requirements (corporate, federal, and other), and external factors
• Conduct benchmarking using data of competitive vehicles • Determine its customers and their characteristics • List customer needs of the vehicle (by interviewing a few customers) • Develop a QFD for a vehicle system (each team member was asked to select
a different vehicle system and prepare a QFD for the selected system) • Determine specifications of the vehicle
Project 3: Vehicle systems analyses: requirements, interfaces, trade-offs, and verification (see Chapter 17)
• Develop requirements for the selected vehicle system • List of subsystems of the selected system • Prepare an interface diagram of the subsystems of the selected system and
other major vehicle systems • Prepare an interface matrix for the subsystems of the selected system and
other major vehicle systems • Cascade requirements of the selected system to its subsystems and develop
tests required to verify requirements on the subsystems • Provide descriptions of specific issues, considerations, and trade-offs with
interfaces and observations/findings from the aforementioned exercise
Project 4: Business plan and a systems engineering plan for the proposed vehicle
• Description and specifications of the proposed (target) vehicle • Competitors (makes and models) of the proposed vehicle • Systems engineering model-based timing plan and gateways • Sales projections • Costs and revenue estimation table and plots of curves of life cycle costs
and revenues for the vehicle program • Systems engineering management plan
Project 5: Conceptual design of the vehicle
• Pugh diagram, concept improvements, and vehicle definition • Sketches, drawings showing basic dimensions • Vehicle configuration and preliminary packaging • Selected technologies and features
Project 6: Refining the vehicle design and the vehicle assembly process
• Refining vehicle design with new technology applications (assumptions and features)
• Descriptions of new features and supporting materials (eg, new technological developments)
• Packaging layout sketches, spaces allocated to various systems, observations, and issues
• Analyses and calculations of package parameters • Assembly plan and assumptions: assembly process chart and plant configuration
Project 7: Term project: final report
• Vehicle brochure (for future customers) • Major selling points-features that will satisfy and please customers
• Product description: sketches, drawings, and features/options • Technical superiority and technology implementations • Major engineering accomplishments • Analyses performed to support statements/claims • Vehicle evaluations and verifications (data or plans)
Future successes in implementing new product programs will depend on those who have the knowledge and resources to integrate available and new knowledge, apply available tools, and incorporate technological changes The chapter covered many challenges facing the systems engineering profession Large corporations and government organizations (eg, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Defense, and their major suppliers) have better capabilities (eg, management tools and documentation of lesson learned) to manage complex programs However, their ability to incorporate new technologies may not be substantially better than some specialized technology companies Integration of software systems with hardware systems is increasingly important for successful development of complex products as the software design tasks consume a larger percentage of the product development budget The usability issues of software-intensive products are also demanding greater involvement of human factors engineers in the product design process
