How do you apply system engineering to system requirements?

1 Identify stakeholders and needs

The first step is to identify who are the stakeholders of the system and what are their needs, expectations, and constraints. Stakeholders are the people or organizations that have an interest or influence on the system, such as customers, users, regulators, suppliers, or competitors. Needs are the problems or opportunities that the system should address, such as functional, performance, operational, or environmental requirements. You can use techniques such as interviews, surveys, observations, or brainstorming to collect and prioritize stakeholder needs.

2 Define system scope and context

The second step is to define the system scope and context, which are the boundaries and interactions of the system with its environment. Scope is the extent of the system functionality, features, and capabilities that will be delivered to satisfy the stakeholder needs. Context is the external factors that affect the system, such as physical, social, legal, or technological aspects. You can use techniques such as use cases, scenarios, diagrams, or models to describe and visualize the system scope and context.

3 Elicit and analyze system requirements

The third step is to elicit and analyze the system requirements, which are the statements of what the system must or should do or be to meet the stakeholder needs. Elicitation is the process of gathering and documenting the system requirements from various sources, such as stakeholder inputs, standards, regulations, or best practices. Analysis is the process of verifying, validating, and refining the system requirements to ensure they are clear, consistent, complete, feasible, and testable. You can use techniques such as workshops, prototyping, simulation, or analysis models to elicit and analyze the system requirements.

4 Specify and allocate system requirements

The fourth step is to specify and allocate the system requirements, which are the activities of defining and distributing the system requirements to the system elements. Specification is the activity of writing and organizing the system requirements in a formal document or database that can be communicated and traced throughout the system life cycle. Allocation is the activity of assigning and decomposing the system requirements to the lower-level components or subsystems that will implement them. You can use techniques such as requirement management tools, matrices, or diagrams to specify and allocate the system requirements.

5 Validate and verify system requirements

The fifth step is to validate and verify the system requirements, which are the processes of ensuring that the system requirements are correct and complete. Validation is the process of confirming that the system requirements meet the stakeholder needs and expectations. Verification is the process of confirming that the system requirements are met by the system design and implementation. You can use techniques such as reviews, inspections, testing, or analysis to validate and verify the system requirements.

6 Manage and control system requirements

The sixth step is to manage and control the system requirements, which are the activities of maintaining and updating the system requirements throughout the system life cycle. Management is the activity of planning, organizing, and monitoring the system requirements activities and resources. Control is the activity of identifying, assessing, and implementing changes to the system requirements due to new or evolving stakeholder needs, system issues, or project constraints. You can use techniques such as configuration management, change management, or traceability to manage and control the system requirements.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?