Systems Engineering Module 3

Systems Engineering
23AEPC304
Module 3: Concept Development
1. Needs Analysis
Needs Analysis is the foundation of concept development. It identifies what the stakeholders truly require and
ensures
that the system being developed addresses these real needs rather than perceived or assumed desires.

Objectives:
- Understand stakeholder needs across diverse groups.
- Translate ambiguous expectations into clear and structured requirements.
- Prioritize critical needs while distinguishing them from optional features.

Examples:
1. Defense System: Identifying the need for early detection of incoming missiles due to increasing aerial threats.
2. Healthcare: Recognizing the need for telemedicine platforms in rural areas with limited hospitals.
3. Transportation: Identifying the need for electric buses in urban centers to reduce pollution.

Process Steps:
1. Stakeholder Identification – For a smart city project, this includes residents, government authorities, traffic
police,
energy suppliers, and waste management agencies.
2. Define Mission Objectives – Example: For a Mars Rover, the mission is to collect soil samples, analyze
terrain, and transmit data back to Earth.
3. Constraints – In the case of low-cost housing projects, constraints include affordability, safety regulations,
and construction materials.
4. Analyze Existing Systems – Example: Assess limitations of current online education platforms in delivering
hands-on laboratory training.

Outcome: Operational Needs Statement (ONS) that clearly articulates the user’s essential requirements.

2. Originating a New System

Originating a new system involves creativity, innovation, and systematic thinking to generate alternative
solutions.

Approaches:
- Technology-Driven: Drones for package delivery made possible due to advancements in autonomous
navigation.
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- Mission-Driven: Creation of a tsunami early-warning system for coastal regions vulnerable to natural
disasters.
- Evolutionary: Upgrading a railway reservation system with AI-based predictive ticket pricing.

Examples:
1. Education: Development of AI tutors for personalized learning paths.
2. Healthcare: Introduction of robotic surgery systems with improved precision.
3. Agriculture: Automated irrigation systems using IoT sensors.

Process:
- Brainstorm concepts: For instance, brainstorming autonomous cars leads to multiple alternatives like fully
automated taxis, semi-automated personal cars, or hybrid systems.
- Perform early trade-offs: Compare manual drone delivery vs. autonomous drone delivery in terms of cost and
reliability.
- Document alternatives in Concept Papers for further review.

3. Operations Analysis
Operations Analysis ensures the proposed system works effectively in its intended environment.

Key Elements:
- Mission Scenarios: For a hospital information system, scenarios include patient admission, diagnostic testing,
billing, and discharge.
- Workload Analysis: Example – Air traffic control systems must consider operator workload during peak flight
hours.
- Environmental Context: A solar power plant must operate under diverse environmental conditions such as
cloudy weather or dust storms.

Methods:
- Simulation: Traffic flow simulation in smart city projects to optimize signal timings.
- Flow Diagrams: Operational flow of e-commerce – customer order, payment, warehouse processing,
packaging, delivery.
- Cost-effectiveness: Evaluating whether hybrid buses provide more value than diesel buses over their lifecycle.

Example Case: A military radar system is tested for effectiveness under scenarios like low visibility, high-speed
aircraft detection, and simultaneous multiple targets.

4. Functional Analysis
Functional Analysis decomposes needs into functions that a system must perform.

Steps:
1. Identify top-level functions – Example: In a satellite, functions include imaging, data storage, transmission,
and navigation.
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2. Decompose sub-functions – Imaging breaks into focusing, filtering, capturing, and digitizing.
3. Define interfaces – Example: Data collected by sensors must be formatted and transmitted to ground stations.

Examples:
- ATM System: Functions include authentication, cash withdrawal, balance inquiry, and receipt printing.
- Smart Home System: Lighting control, HVAC regulation, security monitoring, and energy usage tracking.

Outputs:
- Functional Flow Block Diagrams (FFBDs) showing sequence of functions.
- Hierarchical function trees mapping main to sub-functions.

5. Feasibility Definition
Feasibility studies assess practicality of system concepts.

Dimensions:
- Technical: Example – Is it technically feasible to build a reusable space rocket? (Yes, proven by SpaceX
Falcon 9.)
- Economic: Is developing an AI chatbot more cost-effective than employing additional call center staff?
- Operational: Can farmers in remote villages effectively use drone-based crop monitoring systems?
- Schedule: Is it realistic to deploy 5G infrastructure across an entire country in 3 years?

Activities:
- Prototype Development: A small-scale prototype of a solar-powered drone can validate technical feasibility.
- Cost-Benefit: Electric cars may have higher upfront costs but lower lifecycle costs compared to gasoline
vehicles.
- TRL Assessment: Assess maturity of quantum computers for real-world commercial use.

Example: Evaluating whether a maglev train project in India is feasible given cost, land acquisition issues, and
technology maturity.

6. Needs Validation
Needs Validation ensures correctness of requirements.

Examples:
- Aviation: Validate that new cockpit displays are truly needed by interviewing pilots.
- Education: Validate online learning needs by surveying students and teachers for usability.
- Defense: Validate operational needs of an anti-drone system by simulating battlefield conditions.

Techniques:
- Stakeholder walkthroughs: Example – Demonstrating a mobile banking prototype to rural users.
- Prototyping: Virtual reality simulation of new car dashboard for driver feedback.
- Trade-off Studies: Balancing affordability and durability in low-cost medical devices.
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Outcome: Approved set of validated needs to guide concept exploration.

7. System Operational Requirements

System Operational Requirements (SOR) provide detailed measurable specifications.

Examples of Attributes:
- Performance: A drone should fly at least 2 hours continuously with a payload of 10 kg.
- Environmental: A bridge design must withstand wind speeds up to 200 km/h.
- Supportability: An electric bus fleet must have a maintenance downtime of less than 10% annually.
- Interoperability: A new railway ticketing system must integrate with UPI payment platforms.

Examples of SORD Applications:

1. Healthcare: Electronic Health Record system must support integration with national health databases.
2. Defense: Radar systems must detect aircraft with radar cross-section <1 m² at 300 km distance.
3. Transportation: Metro rail system must achieve punctuality of 99% during peak hours.

Output: A System Operational Requirements Document (SORD) serving as baseline for engineering design.

Concept Development bridges the gap between abstract user needs and technical solutions.
It ensures the system is practical, feasible, and aligned with stakeholder goals.

Key Deliverables:
- Operational Needs Statement (ONS).
- Concept Papers describing multiple alternatives.
- Functional Architecture and diagrams.
- Shortlisted feasible concepts.
- System Operational Requirements Document (SORD).

Examples of Real Applications:

1. Healthcare: Development of telemedicine systems in India.
2. Aerospace: NASA’s Artemis mission concept development before engineering phase.
3. IT: Conceptualization of global cloud infrastructure services by providers like AWS and Azure.
4. Energy: Offshore wind farm projects starting with needs analysis, feasibility, and requirement definition.

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