Systems Engineering at
The University of Texas at Arlington
Dr. Susan Ferreira, Assistant Professor and SERC Director
March 10, 2010
1
My Background
• 17+ years Defense and Aerospace industry
employment
– Systems engineering for complex software
intensive systems
– Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems &
Solutions, General Dynamics, Northrop
Corporation
• Multiple systems engineering roles over the
development cycle
Systems Engineering
2
Agenda
• UTA Systems Engineering Program
• Systems Engineering Research
Center (SERC)
• PATFrame Activities & Support
Systems Engineering
3
The University of Texas at Arlington
• Main campus in Arlington, Riverbend Campus
in east Fort Worth, Fort Worth Center (Santa Fe
Station) in Downtown Fort Worth
• 100 buildings on 420 acres
• A new engineering research building under
construction
• 78 BS, 74 MS, and 33 PhD Programs
• 5700 Degrees awarded in 2007-08
• 25,000 students
• 1320 Faculty
Founded in 1895
Systems Engineering
4
UTA SE Program Background
• Systems Engineering identified as the
most critical human resource need in
engineering by Aerospace and other DFW
industry
• Partnered with industry to develop a
research and education capability focused
on the methods, tools, technologies for
Systems Engineering
• UTA has established Systems Engineering
as a strategic initiative
Systems Engineering
5
Systems Engineering Program
Master of Science in
Systems Engineering
Ph.D. in IE with a
Dissertation Focus in
Systems Engineering
Systems Engineering
Research Center (SERC)
Systems Engineering
www.uta.edu/serc
6
MSSE Education Objectives
• A practical experiencebased program
• Provides students with the
fundamental and applied
management and technical
knowledge to support the
development of large scale
complex systems
• Immediate relevant value for
students when returning to
or entering industry
Systems Engineering
7
Master of Science Features
• Tailored for busy working
professionals with evening
or distance classes
Intro to Systems Engr.
Systems Engineering I
Systems Engineering II
Cohort-based
• Instructors with significant
industry experience in
Systems Engineering and
Program Management
ensures business
perspective
• Cohort-based core classes
provides practical team
focused experience
Systems Engineering III
Systems Engineering
8
Local Companies/Government
Represented by SE Students/Alumni
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Accenture
Bell Helicopter
Federal Aviation Administration
Georgia Tech Research Institute
L-3 Communications
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control
Mary Kay Cosmetics
Motorola
Perot Systems
Raytheon Systems
Siemens
U.S. Army
Vought Aircraft Systems
Systems Engineering
9
Systems Engineering
Research Center (SERC)
• The SERC is an Official University Center
of The University of Texas at Arlington
• The SERC Seeks to Address Key
Challenges with Innovative Approaches
• www.uta.edu/serc
Systems Engineering
10
SERC Vision & Purpose
Premier industry, government, and academic
institution collaborator, fostering mutually
beneficial and ongoing relationships with our
partners while working jointly to solve critical
problems and initiate new areas of ground
breaking research in systems engineering
• Solve complex, interdisciplinary, “never before
seen”, and defined/unsolved problems
• Identify and develop research areas of interest with
industry and government agency partners
• Address international and national level system
engineering problems
Systems Engineering
11
UTA SERC Research Agenda
Mission: Optimize Systems Engineering for Complex Systems
SE Process
Improvement
SE Understanding
& Analysis
SE Process
Simulators
Decision Support
Tools
Lean Principles
Applied to SE
Variability
Reduction Applied
to SE
Systems Engineering Testbed
Requirements
Engineering
Architecture
Systems
of Systems
Complex Software
Intensive SE
Defense &
Aerospace
Health Care
Energy
Environment
Focus Areas
Systems Engineering
Domain Areas
12
SERC Projects
• A Prescriptive and Adaptive Testing
Framework (PATFrame) for Unmanned and
Autonomous Systems of Systems
• The Development of a Systems Engineering
Simulator (TSGC)
• Systems Engineering Testbed: Systems
Engineering Learning and Research Reinvented
• Certified Systems Engineering Professional
(CSEP) Exam Preparation Course
Systems Engineering
13
SE Simulator Research Direction
• Focus: Develop various simulators that
can be used to better understand process
dynamics of systems engineering and
evaluate project, program, and enterprise
factors and options
• Utilize systems dynamics modeling
– Value of system dynamics modeling
• Ability to deal with non-linear processes
• Illustrate feedback loops
Systems Engineering
14
SE Simulator Research Direction
• SE Simulator benefits
– provide experiential learning & training
–accelerate development of systems engineers
– evaluate “what-if” scenarios in a no
risk/no impact manner
– test ideas about a project or system
prior to implementation
– study & predict project performance
Systems Engineering
15
SE Simulator Research Direction
• Leverage software engineering simulator
research
• Precedent set in developing software
engineering project related simulators that
explore & help understand system dynamics
–
–
–
–
Effects of multiple software development risks
Effects of requirements volatility
Effects of schedule pressure
. . .on cost, schedule, quality …and other key
indicators
• Analogous work can be done for systems
engineering
Systems Engineering
16
SE Simulator Research Direction
• Simulator scope: Process, Phase, Project (R&D
project, Systems Development project), Program
(multi-project), Enterprise level (multi-program)
– Phase focused: Requirements Engineering,
Integration & Test, Transition to Operation, Logistics,
etc.
• Life: concept definition through disposal,
development, etc.
• Level: System, System of Systems (SoS)
• Key Project Issues/Risks: requirements volatility,
excessive schedule pressure, low morale/team
commitment, inadequate staffing & resource
timing, etc.
Systems Engineering
17
TSGC Systems Engineering (SE)
Simulator
• Objective: Develop causal models and
architecture for a systems engineering
process simulator tailored for NASA
processes
• Provides a tool that can help others
understand complex systems
engineering project system dynamics
• Focused on key project risks
– E.g. Requirements volatility
Systems Engineering
18
Example Research Questions
• What Systems Engineering Factors are
Affected by Requirements Volatility?
• How can These Factors and the Uncertainty
Associated to These Factors be Modeled?
• What is the Project Management Impact of
Requirements Volatility?
• Do Certain Process Factors or the Use of
Specific Requirements Engineering
Techniques Mitigate the Risk of
Requirements Volatility (RV)?
Systems Engineering
19
Original Causal Model
Attrition
_
_
Productivity
+
Excessive
change
requests
Requirements
change
requests
+
+
Project work
product
rework
Requirements
engineering
effort
+
+ +
+
_
+/ _
+
+
+
+
_
Accepted
requirements
changes
Overall
project
effort
Good
requirements
engineering
techniques
+
Excessive
requirements
changes
Jobsize
Low
staff
morale
Excessive
schedule
pressure
+
_
Process
Discipline
+
+
+
+
Project
duration
Cost
_
Requirements
errors
Requirements
engineer
experience
level
_
_
_
Customer
satisfaction
Good
requirements
engineering
techniques
_
+
+
Accepted
requirements
changes
Systems Engineering
Escaped
defects
+
Requirements
defects
_
Review
effectiveness
Survey
items
20
SE RV Causal Model
Systems Engineering
21
Systems Engineering Testbed
A unique, nationally recognized laboratory
resource for Systems Engineering
research and for the development and
deployment of Systems Engineering
methods and tools
- Unique Systems Engineering simulation
environment
- Unprecedented access to SE tools for various
phases of a project lifecycle
- Resource for training mid-career and new
systems engineers
- Multi-use reconfigurable, dynamic resource and
research environment
Systems Engineering
22
CSEP Exam Preparation Course
• Objective: Prepares systems
engineering professionals to take the
INCOSE CSEP exam and includes a
comprehensive coverage of the INCOSE
Systems Engineering Handbook
Systems Engineering
23
UTA PATFrame Activities & Support
• Unmanned and autonomous (UA)
system of systems (SoS) test and
evaluation (T&E) ontology model
• Causal models
• DoDAF extensions
Systems Engineering
24
UAS SoS T&E Ontology Model
• Provides a common foundation of
understanding for UA SoS test and
evaluation
• Describes (1) objects, (2) relationships
between objects, (3) use of objects inside
and outside domain boundary, and (4)
rules which govern the entities existence
and behavior
• Used in support and development of other
PATFrame deliverables
Systems Engineering
25
UAS SoS T&E Ontology Model
• What are the key “things” in the test
domain? (system(s) under test, test
process, test products, test infrastructure
[including test equipment, simulators,
stimulators, test sensors, …], test
personnel, etc)?
• What are the associated attributes?
• When are these things created?
• How are these things related?
Systems Engineering
26
System Test and Evaluation Process (Draft) 02-05-2010
Systems Engineering
27
March 11 Ontology Workshop
Questions
• What key “things” are we missing?
• How does your process map to the draft T&E
process? What is missing? What is the same?
• Which organizations are responsible for each
subprocess?
• What triggers the test process to occur? What are
the inputs? Outputs?
• Who are your subject matter experts? Can we
contact them?
Systems Engineering
28
Causal Models
• Causal models
– used to illustrate the combination of factors
and associated relationships between the
factors (including nonlinear relationships)
– lead to development of systems dynamics
models
+
Births
+
Systems Engineering
+
Population
Deaths
29
DoDAF Extensions
• Develop recommendations to augment
DoDAF for test and evaluation
Systems Engineering
30
Project Related UTA Research Centers /
Laboratories
– Systems Engineering Research Center
(SERC)
– Center on Stochastic Modeling,
Optimization, & Statistics (COSMOS)
– Autonomous Vehicles Laboratory
– Enterprise Engineering Group
– Human Factors Laboratory
– . . . Many others . . .
Systems Engineering
31
Thank You!
Dr. Susan Ferreira
ferreira@uta.edu
817-272-1332
Systems Engineering
32
Backup Slides
• Additional information about SE program and
SERC
Systems Engineering
33
UAS SoS T&E Ontology Model
Major Tasks
1. Conduct a literature review
– Identify current and projected T&E policies, standards,
procedures, processes and other related information
2. Conduct a survey of key subject matter experts
3. Analyze literature review and survey
– Findings will include an initial identification of
ontology inputs
4. Develop ontological views and document the
ontology model views
5. Validate the ontology
6. Document final ontology in a report and present
the results
Systems Engineering
34
Causal Model Major Tasks
1. Conduct literature review
– Identify challenges (or problems) and risks inherent in T&E
(UAS SoS).
– Generate a prioritized list of challenges and risks based on
potential criticality and commonality of problems, challenges
and risks seen in the literature review and findings from
MIT’s prioritized set of challenges identified for Task #1.
2. Develop an initial set of causal maps for a selected
set of challenges and/or risks
– The causal maps will identify the factors and relationships
between the factors believed to be related to the challenges
and/or risks
3. Validate the causal models
4. Document final causal models in a report and
present the results
Systems Engineering
35
DoDAF Extensions Major Tasks
1. Conduct a literature review
– Identify the current or proposed use of DoDAF in the T&E
community. This will be used as a basis to assist in
evaluating prospective DoDAF related recommendations
2. Conduct a survey to evaluate the use of DoDAF in the
UAS T&E community
– Effort will identify the extent of use, types of DoDAF views
used, and (if used) the current processes used to generate
T&E specific views
3. Develop recommendations to generate UAS T&E SoS
views and how the views may be created using the
framework for dynamic adaption
4. Validate the DoDAF results
5. Document DoDAF activity results in a report and present
the results
Systems Engineering
36