Study of software tools to support systems engineering management

Abstract

According to a 2010 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, major system acquisitions within the Department of Defense (DOD) tend to be behind schedule, over budget, and often fail to deliver at least some of the planned capabilities. One area that can significantly contribute to successful implementation of systems engineering is the regular usage of management software tools and their continued evolution to better meet systems engineering needs. This thesis provides a detailed exploration of four categories of available system engineering management tools: Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Product Life Cycle Management (PLM), Systems Engineering Environment (SEE), and Project Management software. Each tool has numerous features that support successful systems engineering. However, there does not seem to be a consolidated commercially available tool or system that allows for seamless management of systems engineering projects across all of the process areas. Drawing upon these existing tools and the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) processes, this thesis derives a set of requirements for such a consolidated systems engineering management tool. This research can serve as the starting point for a follow-on effort to develop such a tool.