Purpose

The purpose of this Standard is to support the development and improvement of systems engineering capability.

Coverage

The scope of this standard includes all activities that associate with or enable systems engineering. Systems engineering is an inter-disciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems. In this context, systems engineering is not limited to what either Systems Engineering organizations or Systems Engineers do. Rather it is the interaction of many people, processes, and organizations resulting in the accomplishment of the required activities.

This Standard is intended to provide complete coverage of EIA 632, Processes for Engineering a System, and be consistent with both it and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 1220-1994, IEEE Trial-Use Standard for Application and Management of the Systems Engineering Process.

Application

The EIA SECM, EIA 731-1, is to be used in conjunction with the SECM Appraisal Method, EIA 731-2, to develop, improve, and assess systems engineering capability.

This Standard applies to programs and organizations doing systems engineering: small or large; simple or complex; software intensive or not; precedented or unprecedented. It applies to systems that may contain hardware, software, personnel, facilities, data, materials, services, or techniques. This Standard is applicable to the engineering of a new system or the reengineering of a legacy system, or portions thereof.

This Standard is intended solely to be used for self-development, self-improvement, and self-appraisal. Organizations should not apply this Standard to suppliers as a means of source selection or as a means of qualification to be a supplier.

Limitations

This Standard is not intended to specify the details of "how to" implement process activities. It does not specify the methods or tools a developer would use to accomplish required activities. The developer will select methods, techniques, and tools that are consistent with program or organization needs, directives, and procedures.

Adherence to this Standard shall be entirely voluntary and within the discretion of individual organizations.

This Standard does not prescribe the name, format, content, or structure of documentation. Throughout this Standard, the terms "document" or "documentation" are used to mean a collection of data regardless of its medium.

This Standard is, to a large extent, a process-based systems engineering capability model. Process maturity indicators were developed first because they were deemed easiest to develop and had received the most attention in other efforts, e.g., ISO initiatives, and other disciplines, e.g., software. This Standard also includes non-process indicators of systems engineering capability. These non-process indicators represent high leverage characteristics of systems engineering capability.

This Standard has not been validated. An inherent, necessary component of validation would be to demonstrate quantitatively that improvement in systems engineering capability, as measured by appraisal results, can lead to a more effective organization. This will be reflected by systems engineering's impact on product development in terms of the "bottom line", such as quicker time to market, lower product cost, reduction in cycle time, etc. Many organizations have utilized the INCOSE or EPIC models and have performed assessments using the applicable methodologies. This standard builds on the experience gained from these models that were deemed to be of value to the organizations that have been assessed.

Tailoring

This Standard contains a set of Focus Areas, Themes, Practices, and Attributes designed to be tailored. Tailoring (see Annex A and EIA 731-2 for guidance) is deletion of non-applicable Focus Areas, Themes, Practices, and Attributes, or addition of unique or special Focus Areas, Themes, Practices, and Attributes provided in organization policies and procedures, or in an acquirer-supplier agreement.

Customers who purchased TECHAMERICA EIA-731.1
also purchased

• TECHAMERICA EIA-632 : Processes for Engineering a System
• ASNT ASNT-TC-1A/I : Question and Answer Book I Levels I, II, III – Visual and Optical Testing - Supplement to Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A-BOOK I-Item No. 2034A
• IEEE 1220 : Standard for Application and Management of the Systems Engineering Process-IEEE Computer Society Document
• NEMA Z535.4 : Product Safety Signs and Labels

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