How do you create a project-aligned systems engineering plan?

1 Step 1: Identify the purpose and scope of your SEP

Clarifying why you need a SEP and what it will cover is the first step. Consider your project's goals and objectives, as well as the intended audience and users of your SEP. Additionally, think about the key assumptions, constraints, dependencies, technical challenges, and risks that you need to address. Tailor and adapt the SEP to fit the characteristics and context of your project and system. Summarize the answers to these questions in a brief introduction section of your SEP to set the stage for the rest of the document.

2 Step 2: Define the system requirements and architecture

The next step is to define the system's purpose and how it will achieve it. To do this, you should use a systematic approach to elicit, analyze, validate, and document the system requirements and architecture. This should include aspects such as what functional, performance, quality, safety, security, and other requirements your system must satisfy; how you will verify and validate that your system meets the requirements; what the system boundaries, interfaces, components, and interactions are; how you will model, analyze, and evaluate the system architecture to ensure its feasibility, reliability, and robustness; and how you'll manage the changes and traceability of the system requirements and architecture throughout the project lifecycle. Additionally, it's important to describe in your SEP the methods, tools, standards, and best practices that you will use to define the system requirements and architecture.

3 Step 3: Plan the system development and integration

The third step is to plan how you will design, implement, test, and integrate the system components and subsystems. When doing so, it's essential to consider the system development phases, activities, milestones, and deliverables you will follow. Additionally, you should allocate the system requirements and architecture to the system components and subsystems. Furthermore, designing, coding, and documenting the system components and subsystems according to the system specifications is important. It's also crucial to test and integrate the system components and subsystems at different levels of abstraction and complexity. Finally, you must ensure the quality, consistency, and compatibility of the system components and subsystems. To outline this plan in your SEP, you'll need to include roles, responsibilities, and resources.

4 Step 4: Plan the system verification and validation

The fourth step is to plan how you will verify and validate that your system meets the system requirements and expectations. When doing so, you should consider what objectives, criteria, and methods you will use for the process. Additionally, you should think about how you will conduct activities such as inspections, reviews, audits, tests, simulations, demonstrations, and evaluations. It is also important to consider how you will collect, analyze, and report the results of the system verification and validation. Moreover, you should plan for how to handle any system defects, issues, or anomalies that may arise during the process. Finally, you should ensure the traceability, completeness, and accuracy of the system verification and validation documentation. All of this should be specified in your SEP with a schedule, budget, and quality assurance measures.

5 Step 5: Plan the system deployment and operation

The fifth step is to plan how you will deploy and operate your system in the intended environment and context. You should consider what requirements, constraints, and risks you will face, as well as how you will prepare, install, configure, and activate your system in the target location and network. Additionally, you should plan for how to train, support, and communicate with system users and operators, as well as how to monitor, control, and maintain the system during its operation lifecycle. Lastly, you should evaluate the system performance, effectiveness, and satisfaction during its operation lifecycle. To ensure success in these areas, you should detail the system deployment and operation plan in your SEP which should include roles, responsibilities, and resources.

6 Step 6: Plan the system evolution and disposal

The final step is to plan how you will evolve and dispose your system in response to the changing needs and conditions. You should consider aspects such as the system evolution and disposal drivers, opportunities, and challenges; how you will identify, prioritize, and implement the necessary changes and improvements; how to manage the impact of these changes on the existing system and stakeholders; how to decommission, dismantle, and dispose your system at the end of its operation lifecycle; and how to capture, document, and share the lessons learned and best practices that you will gain. Presenting this system evolution and disposal plan in your SEP is essential, including the schedule, budget, and quality assurance measures that you will apply.

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?