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Running head: INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMS ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 1

INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMS ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 7

Midterm Exam

CMGT-580 Introduction to Systems Engineering Management

Introduction to Systems Engineering Management

System Development

All engineering projects must follow the stages of concept, design, and post-development to ensure that it meets the objectives. The complexity of engineering development means that developers must follow certain procedures to be able to develop products that meet engineering standards. The sequence must be followed where a concept is developed from the idea. There must be an idea for in mind of the engineer that can be used to develop the concept. The concept provides an overview of the problem and how it can be solved through the knowledge of engineering. The next stage is designing the solution. At the design stage, a plan of the concept is developed physically where the necessary solutions are put in place to solve a problem (Kossiakoff et al., 2011). The designing stage involves the testing of the plan and making necessary changes to the point where the design meets all the descriptions. The last stage is post development which essentially deals with the evaluation of the development to determine if it meets the initial criteria of the development. The post-development stage looks at potential areas to the system and propose amendments which can be made to ensure that the system is fully functional. The main consequence of not following the sequence is the failure of the entire development process. The sequence has been designed to address key issues in development, and when this sequence is not followed, it becomes harder to execute the development of the system fully. The outcome of the process could be filled with errors which might be costly and time-consuming to correct. Besides, the quality of engineering development that is done without following the sequence is put into question.

Systems Engineering Management

The Systems Engineering Management Plan guides on how different portions of engineering projects are to be completed. It further provides the attributes of the SE team in regards to completion of projects. The SEMP would identify the attributes of creativity, leadership, problem solving and communication for the SE team. The SE team should be made up of creative people who can be able to come up with ideas that can help to solve a given problem. The creativity of the team should be able to incorporate the desires of the members and further process these ideas into one to be able to come up with a creative solution that can further be improved throughout the developmental stages. SE teams should show leadership in all their endeavors. Engineering is a field where leadership is key, and SE team should have the attribute of leadership (Kossiakoff et al., 2011). It is through leadership that the team can set a direction and path that should be followed to improve and enhance engineering solutions at all the levels. Problem-solving is the other key attribute that should be possessed by SE teams. Engineering projects present different challenges that should be solved from the engineering perspective. As such, SE teams should possess problem-solving skills where they can propose solutions which when pursued can prove to be a game changer. The last attribute is communication. Communication facilitates easy flow of ideas and concepts in the field of engineering. The SE team should have excellent communication skills that would help in resolving conflicts within the team. Besides, proper communication ensures that messages are passed in a manner that can easily be understood by other members.

Concept Exploration

The analysis of this transportation problem is based on lowering costs as well as ensuring that there is efficiency. The available transport solutions to the school are using the road or the railroad. There is also the alternative of using metro transport, but an additional mode of transport should be sought since the campus is located at a different location that is far from the metro station. The analysis will be set up based on the available options and the budget of the campus in transporting the students.

The three concepts that will be considered in this case is safety, costs and time. The concept of safety holds that transport method should guarantee safety to the passengers. In this case, analyzing the level of safety between road, railroad and metro transport would provide the best solution to the university. The second concept is the cost benefit. The transport solution should be able to meet the budgetary allocation of the client. The costs of transportation must not exceed what is provided as it would create numerous challenges in the process of transportation. The last concept is time. Any means of transport should be efficient to ensure that the people traveling arrive at their destinations on time.

Concepts/Criteria	Number of Students	Time of Departure	Other travelers	Incentives by the Host
Safety
Time
Costs

The concepts discussed can be evaluated on the criteria of the number of students traveling, the times of departure, other people traveling to the same destination and any incentives provided by the hosts. The number of students traveling is critical for cost analysis of transportation. The time of departure relates to time and efficiency as there could be potential problems of traffic at certain times of the day. The third criteria reflect on other passengers who could be traveling to the same venue. The criteria also relate to time and the probability of traffic. The incentives provided by the host can help in reducing costs and improving traveling conditions.

Systems Engineering Landscape

The system concepts introduce learners to the complexities of system development at an early age. The advantage of introducing these concepts to secondary students is that it allows them to develop a liking for system education that would prepare them to pursue STEM courses. Majority of the learners who take up STEM course in college lack background knowledge on these courses and the requirements that are required to be met for one to get the best out the courses effectively (Kossiakoff et al., 2011). The other advantage is that it eases the pressure of introducing basic concepts at the college level. Students who pursue education relating to concept development of systems at an early age will find it easier to advance the same knowledge at a higher level without the need to rely exclusively on the form the instructors. The disadvantage of these concepts is that it could create false hope and determination on one’s suitability to STEM courses. Several learners have found it harder to complete STEM courses due to their complexity. Some learners have failed to make up the right decisions on the course owing to the euphoria created by studying system concepts in high school. The other disadvantage is that these concepts can waste the time of most learners who cold could have identified alternative areas of interest (Kossiakoff et al., 2011). Course that involves system concepts are, and learners must put much dedication towards understanding the concepts. Besides, more effort is required from the learners, and they must put commitment which could deny them the opportunity to explore other areas that could prove to provide a breakthrough to their careers.

Needs Analysis

MOE refers to the Measure of Effectiveness. The MOE is strictly designed to match the overall performance of the system which points to the caliber degree aimed at fulfilling specific objectives under a given set of conditions. The measure of effectiveness is an important tool used to assess the efficiency of machines particularly those used to achieve extraordinary results. For the case of SUV, the unique characteristics that can be measured and analyzed for effectiveness include;

1. The likelihood of the SUV to lose control under a given speed.

2. The maximum gallons of fuel that can be consumed in one mile.

3. The decibels of noise that can be made by the SUV that exceeds the approved limits.

4. The maximum weight that guarantees safety to both the passenger and the loaded cargo.

5. The chances that one would die in the event of a crush.

6. The maximum tow weight of the car.

7. The chances of tipping over while riding the car.

8. The useful life that can be attained by the car under normal circumstances.

9. The passenger capacity maximum that can be achieved by the car.

10. The chances that the car can be stolen irrespective of the safety features fitted in the car.

References

Kossiakoff, A., Sweet, W. N., Seymour, S. J., & Biemer, S. M. (2011). Systems engineering principles and practice (Vol. 83). John Wiley & Sons.