This module describes systems engineering, outlining its relevance and benefits. You will understand what systems engineering means and gain a framework for the course's major processes and activities. This approach offers advantages for any project. By the end, you will explain the discipline of systems engineering and its real-world benefits. To get the most from this module, consider how these concepts apply to projects you know.

Before diving into detailed systems engineering activities, this module focuses on system needs and requirements. You will examine how business management, business operations, and systems designers view these requirements. We also cover requirements engineering, the process for developing a clear set of requirements. This is vital for successful project outcomes. By the end, you will define system needs and requirements and understand requirements engineering. To prepare, consider a project you know and its initial requirements.

This module explores requirements engineering, covering how requirements are elicited and formally defined through elaboration. You will learn about simple requirements engineering tools and their practical uses. We also examine traceability, ensuring you track each requirement's origin and relationships. This is vital for clear project scope and successful outcomes. By the end, you will understand requirements elicitation, elaboration, tools, and traceability, preparing you for the mid-course exam. To succeed, practice using the tools discussed.

This module covers Conceptual Design, where you translate business and stakeholder needs into a system-level understanding. You will determine what the system must do, its performance, and how it interacts with other systems to meet requirements. We then explore system-level synthesis, making high-level design decisions before preparing for preliminary and detailed design. This early design phase is critical for successful project outcomes. By the end, you will understand conceptual design and system synthesis. To prepare, think about how initial ideas become concrete plans.

Building on Conceptual Design, this module focuses on detailed design decisions. During preliminary design, you will identify subsystems, their functions, and inter-relationships. We address key questions like sourcing subsystems or designing them from scratch. For subsystems needing design or modification, we cover the detailed design process and tools like prototyping, which refine the design. This stage is crucial for successful project implementation. By the end, you will understand preliminary and detailed design processes and prototyping. To succeed, consider how these design choices impact a system's final form.

Following detailed design, this module covers system construction and production. You will examine critical systems engineering activities like configuration audits and system verification. We then explore the utilization phase, where systems engineering supports modification and upgrade projects. Finally, we address issues related to system disposal or retirement. This module highlights the continuous role of systems engineering throughout a system's life. By the end, you will understand construction, utilization, and retirement phases. To succeed, consider the long-term implications of system decisions.

In this final module, you will explore key management issues in systems engineering to maintain balance and control. We cover verification and validation management, configuration management, technical risk management, and managing technical reviews. We also introduce alternative development strategies like incremental and evolutionary approaches, contrasting them with the waterfall method used in this course. The module concludes by emphasizing planning and the Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP). By the end, you will understand critical management aspects for successful systems engineering programs. To succeed, consider how these management tools apply to complex projects.

You have completed the modules! This final section prepares you for the final exam that assesses your understanding of advanced design, construction, and management principles in systems engineering. To succeed, review all materials from these modules. We also want to share information about the Master of Systems Engineering program offered by UNSW Canberra, which can be completed online. Entry pathways are available for those with or without a first degree.