Structure of the SEBoK 26
SEBoK Structure
Figure 1, below, illustrates the eight parts of the SEBoK and how they are related.
Figure 1 Scope of SEBoK Parts and related knowledge (SEBoK Original).
The scope of each part and the key relationships amongst them are briefly discussed below. For a more detailed
discussion of how this structure was evolved, see (Adcock et al, 2016).
Overview of Parts
Part 1: SEBoK Introduction
This part explains the scope, context, and structure of the SEBoK, and of systems engineering (SE).
An overview of who should use the SEBoK, and for what purpose, is followed by detailed use cases. Systems
engineering’s economic value, history, and relationship to other disciplines are discussed. Part 1 also contains a
section which discusses the future evolution of the SEBoK and allows for new areas of content to be introduced
before being transitioned into other SEBoK parts.
Structure of the SEBoK 27
Part 2: Foundations of Systems Engineering
This part provides an introduction and overview of areas of knowledge which provide the foundations of SE.
A discussion of the definitions and basic concepts of systems is followed by an overview of the principles, concepts,
methods, models and patterns of some of the key foundational areas of systems science. This includes a detailed
consideration of the foundational knowledge related to systems models and modelling.
Part 2 looks in more detail at two aspects of this foundational knowledge of particular value to SE. The first is to
discuss aspects of systems knowledge related to a systems approach to complex problems and opportunities. This
approach provides foundations for how SE is defined and practiced (see Parts 3 and 5 below). The second is to
describe the different ways in which system concepts are applied to real world concerns. The SEBoK defines an
engineered system (ES) as the primary focus for the application of SE (see Part 4 below).
Part 3: Systems Engineering and Management
This part describes generic knowledge on the practice of SE and related management activities.
Part 3 begins with the life cycle models common in SE and the general principles behind their application. It then
moves on to SE management activities. It covers both technical activities such as requirements, architecture, test and
evaluation; and management activities such as planning, measurement, and risk. Next is product and service life
management, a distinct area of SE management that emphasizes the entire life cycle including retirement and
disposal. An account of SE standards concludes this part.
Focused on what many think of as the main body of SE, including best practices and common pitfalls, this part
constitutes a substantial proportion of the SEBoK. As already discussed, the knowledge in Part 3 is based on the
systems approach from Part 2. The links between Part 3 and the other parts of the SEBoK are discussed below.
Part 4: Applications of Systems Engineering
This part describes how to apply SE principles to different types of system context.
Part 4 focuses on four major engineered system contexts in turn: products, services, enterprises, and systems of
systems (SoS). For each one, the system abstraction, commercial relationships and application of generic SE is
described.
The generalized contexts above should be viewed as overlapping models of how SE can be applied in different kinds
of situations. Combinations of one or more of them are fully realized when applied in an application domain. Part 4
currently describes this application in a small number of such domains. This will be expanded in later updates. The
applications of SE in this part describe the real-world practice of SE. The generalized knowledge in both Parts 2 and
3 evolves through what we learn from these applications. Part 2 includes a discussion of this relationship between
theory and practice.
Part 5: Enabling Systems Engineering
This part describes approaches to organization that may enable the successful performance of SE activities.
Part 4 covers knowledge at the enterprise, team, or individual level. The range of considerations extends from value
proposition, business purpose, and governance, down to competency, personal development as a systems engineer,
and ethics.
All of these relate to the baseline definitions of SE in Part 3, further generalized in the levels of application in Part 4.
The systems approach in Part 2 should also form a foundation for this part. Since the practice of SE is
transdisciplinary, Part 5 also has a link to Part 6 as discussed below.
Structure of the SEBoK 28
Part 6: Related Disciplines
This part describes the relationships between SE and other disciplines.
Part 6 covers the links between SE and software engineering (SwE), project management (PM), industrial
engineering (IE) and procurement. It also describes how SE is related to specialty engineering, which describes the
various system “–ilities” (like reliability, availability, and maintainability) that SE must balance and integrate.
The knowledge in this part provides an interface to other bodies of knowledge, focused on how it is linked to Parts 3,
4 and 5 above.
Part 7: Systems Engineering Implementation Examples
A set of real-world examples of SE activities demonstrates implementations of the systems engineering knowledge
in previous parts of the SEBoK. These examples come in two forms: case studies, which refer the reader to and
summarize published examinations of the successes and challenges of SE programs, and vignettes, which are brief,
self-contained wiki articles. This part is a key place to look within the SEBoK for lessons learned, best practices, and
patterns. Many links connect material in the examples to the conceptual, methodological, and other content
elsewhere in the SEBoK.
Part 8: Emerging Knowledge
One of the challenges associated with a body of knowledge is that cutting edge and/or emerging ideas are difficult to
include. Bodies of knowledge are based on existing literature and resources, and these often do not exist for new
topics. To address this, Part 8 of the SEBoK contains those emerging ideas and items that are not easily covered in
the other sections of the SEBoK. As these areas mature and as a body of literature is created around them, they will
be moved into the other Parts of the SEBoK.
Addenda
The SEBoK contains a Glossary of Terms, which provides authoritatively-referenced definitions of key terms. This
information is displayed when the reader hovers the mouse pointer over a glossary term within an article. It also
contains a list of Primary References, with additional information about each reference. Quicklinks in the left margin
provide additional background information, including a table of contents, a listing of articles by topic [1], and a list of
Acronyms.
References
Works Cited
Adcock, R., Hutchison, N., Nielsen, C., 2016, "Defining an architecture for the Systems Engineering Body of
Knowledge," Annual IEEE Systems Conference (SysCon) 2016.
Primary References
None.
Additional References
None.
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Structure of the SEBoK 29
References
[1] http:/ / sebokwiki. org/ 1. 1. 1/ index. php?title=Category:Topic
30
Introduction to Systems Engineering
Introduction to Systems Engineering
The primary focus of the SEBoK is on the current baseline of knowledge describing the practice of domain
independent systems engineering (SE). This Knowledge Area (KA) contains topic articles which provide an
overview of SE practice and discuss its economic value, historic evolution and key relationships.
Topics
Each part of the SEBoK is divided into KAs, which are groupings of information with a related theme. The KAs, in
turn, are divided into topics. This KA contains the following topics:
• Systems Engineering Overview
• Economic Value of Systems Engineering
• Systems Engineering: Historic and Future Challenges
• Systems Engineering and Other Disciplines
Systems Engineering
SE is a transdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems. Successful systems
must satisfy the needs of their customers, users and other stakeholders. Some key elements of systems engineering
are highlighted in Figure 1 and include:
• The principles and concepts that characterize a system, where a system is an interacting combination of system
elements that accomplish a defined objective(s). The system interacts with its environment, which may include
other systems, users, and the natural environment. The system elements that compose the system may include
hardware, software, firmware, people, information, techniques, facilities, services, and other support elements.
• A systems engineer is a person or role who supports this transdisciplinary approach. In particular, the systems
engineer often serves to elicit and translate customer needs into specifications that can be realized by the system
development team.
• In order to help realize successful systems, the systems engineer supports a set of life cycle processes beginning
early in conceptual design and continuing throughout the life cycle of the system through its manufacture,
deployment, use and disposal. The systems engineer must analyze, specify, design, and verify the system to
ensure that its functional, interface, performance, physical, and other quality characteristics, and cost are balanced
to meet the needs of the system stakeholders.
• A systems engineer helps ensure the elements of the system fit together to accomplish the objectives of the whole,
and ultimately satisfy the needs of the customers and other stakeholders who will acquire and use the system.
Introduction to Systems Engineering 31
Figure 1. Key Elements of Systems Engineering. (SEBoK Original)
References
None.
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