Systems Engineering Glossary

The fundamental organization of a system, embodied in its components, their relationships to each other and the environment, and the principles governing its design and evolution.

An approved and formally controlled version of a system configuration (requirements, design, or product) that serves as the basis for further development.

The discipline of identifying, controlling, tracking, and auditing all changes to system artifacts throughout the lifecycle.

A description of how a system will be operated from the user's perspective, including scenarios, operational modes, and stakeholder interactions.

A formal review of the detailed design to confirm it satisfies requirements and can proceed to manufacturing or coding.

Breaking a complex system into smaller, more manageable subsystems, components, and functions.

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis: a systematic method for identifying potential failure modes and assessing their impact on system performance.

A statement defining a specific function or behavior that a system must perform.

International Council on Systems Engineering: the professional society advancing the practice and standards of systems engineering.

The process of assembling subsystems and components into a complete system and verifying that they work together correctly.

The shared boundary between two system elements across which information, energy, or material is exchanged.

An international standard defining system lifecycle processes for engineering and managing systems.

The complete set of stages a system passes through from concept through development, production, operation, and retirement.

Model-Based Systems Engineering: using formal models as the primary means of information exchange during systems engineering.

A requirement specifying quality attributes such as performance, reliability, availability, maintainability, or security.

A formal review confirming that the system architecture and preliminary design satisfy requirements and are ready for detailed design.

A document linking each requirement to its source, design element, and verification method, ensuring complete coverage.

The potential for an undesired outcome, characterized by its probability of occurrence and the severity of its consequences.

Any individual, group, or organization with an interest in or influence over the system being developed.

Systems Modeling Language: a graphical modeling language for specifying, analyzing, designing, and verifying complex systems.

A collection of independent systems networked together to achieve a capability that no single system can deliver alone.

A formal evaluation of a system's technical progress, design maturity, or readiness to proceed to the next lifecycle phase.

A systematic evaluation of alternative design solutions against weighted criteria to inform selection decisions.

Confirmation that the system fulfills its intended use and stakeholder needs in the operational environment.

Confirmation that the system meets its specified requirements through inspection, analysis, demonstration, or testing.