Graduate Students' Perceptions of Computer-Based Project and

Systems Engineering Management Methods

Amira Sharon, Olivier L. de Weck, Dov Dori

LINC 2010 MIT

2

What-When Relations in Systems What-When Relations in Systems Engineering Management (SEM)Engineering Management (SEM)

What

Formal Specifications

Custom Reports and Queries

Model-Based Paradigm

user

system

system

user

AND

50.1

s1.MakeCollectionRequest

50.2

s1.Accept &Format Request

50.3

s1.Check ProductInventory

AND AND

50.4

s1.Get ProductFrom Inventory

50.5

s1.ProvideProduct to User

50.6

s1.AcceptProducts

AND

s1.FormattedRequest

s1.FormattedRequest

s1. InventoryProduct

s1. InventoryProduct

s1.CollectionRequest

s1.CollectionProducts

C.1

Universe

Component

C.2

Customers

Component

C.3

Collectors

Component

SYS.1

CollectionManagement

SystemSystem

S.1.1

Analyst/Workstation

Component

S.1.2

Analyst/CommandCenter

Component

BMD Command& Control

*LauncherStatus

*Track Data

*LaunchCommand

Launchers

*InterceptorStatus

*Ignition

Interceptors

*SensorCommands

Radar

F unc t ion A ss ess K il l

F unc t ion P erform In tercep t

F unc t ion R eq ues t Interce pt

F unc t ion (W ith Ex its ) D isc rim in a

F unc t ion T hreat T rack

F unc t ion D ete c t & Init i ate Tra ck

R esou rce M IPS

0

5

0 10 20 30 40 50 57.0

When

Management Plans (PMP, RMP…)

Management Reports and Queries

Project Management

• Planning

• Organizing

• Directing

• Monitoring

• Control

Systems Engineering

• Requirement & Functional Analysis and Allocation

• Design Synthesis

• Systems Analysis and Control (Balance)

• Integration &

• Verification

3

Systems EngineeringProject Management

• Planning

• Organizing

• Directing

• Monitoring

• Control

Project/Product common areas Project/Product common areas Adapted from NASA (2005)Adapted from NASA (2005)

Common Areas• Risk Mgt.• Config Mgt.• Performance• Evaluation• Mission Assurance

• Requirement & Functional Analysis and Allocation

• Design Synthesis

• Systems Analysis and Control (Balance)

• Integration &

• Verification

What-When Relations in What-When Relations in SEMSEM

The managerial part of SEM is conducted The managerial part of SEM is conducted mostly by using traditional PM methodsmostly by using traditional PM methods

The Research ContextThe Research Context

Conducted within the Project-Conducted within the Project-Product Lifecycle Management Product Lifecycle Management (PPLM) research aimed to develop (PPLM) research aimed to develop a combined project-product a combined project-product methodology and conceptual model, methodology and conceptual model, containing both domains, linked with containing both domains, linked with explicit relationships.explicit relationships.

4

Research Questions 1 & 2Research Questions 1 & 2#TopicQuestionsResearch

MethodNotes

1,2

Application of Project Management Methods within Systems Engineering Management

(1) While conducting the systems engineering management, to what extent do practitioners perceive a notion of a project-domain, a product-domain, and a combined project-product domain?

(2) How do systems engineers perceive the extent to which the common PM methods support SEM?

Structured questionnaires

Based on a UAV case

focus is put on seven PM methods

24 participants

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The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Case Case

UAV Project Description (NMA-X1) Situation You have recently been promoted to Project Manager at New Millennium Aerospace (NMA) Inc., a leading manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the government. Your new job is to plan and execute the development project for a UAV, to be used for surveillance purposes. A rough specification and sketch of the new vehicle is shown in Figure 1. The payload is provided by the government as modified GFE (government furnished equipment), while the engine will be supplied by a well-established commercial company (ECC) under a subcontract. The remainder of the vehicle, including integration and testing is NMA’s - and therefore your - responsibility. Your task today is to create a project schedule, find the critical path and to estimate the finish time of the project. The subsequent project description is hypothetical, but will help you establish the plan.

UAV Project Description (NMA-X1)

B

b

L enginepayload

wings

empennage

avionicssuite

fuselage

Fig 1. UAV concept, Specifications: L=2000 mm, B=3500 mm, b=500 mm

The UAV “pusher” vehicle concept is shown in Figure 1. In a pusher aircraft, the engine is rear-mounted which can lead to higher propulsive efficiency. The vehicle can be decomposed into the following assemblies: fuselage (houses the avionics suite), wings, empennage, payload (a visual and an IR camera, incl. transmitter) and the engine (incl. propeller).

The UAV Case – project description storyThe UAV Case – project description story

After the project start (a,0) you first have to complete the overall requirements definition (b,10) step. Once this is accomplished you can carry out the following jobs in parallel: negotiate the engine specification (c,5) with ECC, define your payload specification (d,5), determine the vehicle layout (e,8) and write the software specification (g,12). You can initiate(GFE) avionics design (f,15) after (b,10), however the tasks (c,5) and (d,5) must also have been completed before the GFE design can be started, so that the avionics will be able to control both the engine and payload in a synchronized fashion. Once the engine specs (c,5) have been defined, the supplier (ECC) informs you that it will take 30 days for engine development (i,30) based on experience with a previous variant. Once engine development is complete, delivery and checkout (n,2) can take place at NMA’s facilities. After (d,5) is done, payload development (j,15) can take place in parallel with engine development. Once the payload is developed (j,15) and the engine delivered (n,2), both the engine and payload are integrated (electrically) in the power system integration (o,10) step. Fuselage design (k,17) and empennage/wing design (l,15) begin in parallel after the vehicle layout (e,8) has been established. Internal fittings (m,8) can be designed after these two jobs are completed. Also, structural airframe prototyping (r,8) consists of building a physical frame for the vehicle after jobs (k,17) and (l,15) are completed. Once avionics design (f,15) has been completed, this leads to avionics delivery and checkout (p,12) and subsequent avionics/software integration (q,5). Obviously, in order for this last step to take place, software development (h,25) which depends both on (g,12) and (f,15) must have also been completed. The project is continued by performing vehicle integration (s,10) which requires prior completion of power system integration (o,10), airframe prototyping (r,8) and avionics/software integration (q,5). After vehicle integration (s,10) and internal fitting design (m,8) have been achieved , final vehicle assembly (t,5) can begin. After final assembly, the completed vehicle is subjected to laboratory testing (u,5), followed by an outdoor flight test campaign (v,10) leading to completion of the prototype development project, finish (w,0).

Method for Research Questions 1 & 2Method for Research Questions 1 & 2

Project management

method – short name

System Dynamics

Program Evaluation

and Reviewing Technique

Critical Path

Method

Design Structure Matrix

Earned Value

Method

Ganttchart

Object Process

Methodology

Project management

method – full name

SDPERTCPMDSMEVMGanttOPM

Homework assignment HW1 HW2 HW2 HW3 HW4HW5HW5

Number of 3-hour sessions

devoted to method

61121Reviewed

prior to HW

Reviewed prior to HW

The seven investigated project management methods

* The MBPP approach was presented during 1.5 sessions (4.5 hours).

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Instructions to the ParticipantsInstructions to the Participants

The question posed to the participants was phrased as follows:

"Please compare the project models or representations you have done so far as homeworks, with respect to the following Project Management (PM) Considerations. Utilize the excel file entitled HW5 Q4 for this purpose. Wherever you believe a correlation exists between a model and a PM consideration, provide a short written explanation of the relationship and grade its strength numerically (between 1 and 5)."

1 is poor, 2 is fair, 3 is good, 4 is very good, and 5 is excellent. N/A was denoted by 0.

Method for Research Questions 1,2Method for Research Questions 1,2The 14 Systems Engineering Management FactorsThe 14 Systems Engineering Management Factors

SEM Factor Dimension

1Budget/Schedule measurement/trackingProject

2Budget/Schedule forecastingProject3Inter-relationships (process & product)Project-Product4Resource managementProject5Stakeholders/agents trackingProject-Product6Performance qualityProduct7Product qualityProduct8Product planningProduct9Product measurement/trackingProduct10Risk managementProject-Product11Iterations managementProject12Information resolution level Project-Product13Ease of communicationProject-Product14Change managementProject-Product11

Using Alpha CronbachUsing Alpha Cronbach coefficient coefficient

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The Alpha Cronbach coefficient α was calculated for estimating how well the set of variables measures each single one-dimensional underlying construct. 

k is the number of items, i2 is the variance of the ith item, and T is the

variance of the total score formed by summing all the items of the tested sample.

Method for Research Questions 1,2Method for Research Questions 1,2

2

1

211 T

k

iik

k

Results for Research Questions 1 & 2Results for Research Questions 1 & 2

All Factors Set ReliabilityAll Factors Set Reliability

Project Management

MethodSDPERTCPMDSMEVMGanttOPM

Full nameSystem

Dynamics

Program Evaluation

and Reviewing Technique

Critical Path

Method

Design Structure Matrix

Earned Value

Method

GanttChart

Object Process

Methodology

Cronbach's Alpha

.743.793.754.640.757.760.855

Best Improved ---.702(1)---

(1) Improved by deletion of factor 12 – Information Resolution Level and factor 3 - Inter-relationships (process & product)

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Project Management Methods Comparison Project Management Methods Comparison by Sum of SEM Factors Rankingsby Sum of SEM Factors Rankings

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Results for Research Questions 1 & 2

Findings for the defined dimensionsFindings for the defined dimensions

Project Management

MethodSDPERTCPMDSMEVMGanttOPM

Full nameSystem

Dynamics

Program Evaluation

and Reviewing Technique

Critical Path

Method

Design Structure Matrix

Earned Value

Method

Object Process

Methodology

ProjectDimension

---

Product Dimension

----

Project-Product Dimension

-----

Combined Project-Product

Dimension---

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Results for Research Questions 1 & 2Results for Research Questions 1 & 2

Project management methods comparison by dimensionProject management methods comparison by dimension

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Results for Research Questions 1 & 2Results for Research Questions 1 & 2

Research Questions 1 & 2Research Questions 1 & 2#TopicQuestionsResearch

MethodNotes

1,2

Application of Project Management Methods within Systems Engineering Management

(1) While conducting the systems engineering management, do practitioners perceive a notion of a project-domain, a product-domain, and a combined project-product domain?

(2) How do systems engineers perceive the extent to which the common PM methods support SEM?

Structured questionnaires

focus is put on seven PM methods

24 participants

17