The Engineering Design of Systems: Models and Methods

Citation

Buede, D. M., & Miller, W. D. (2024). The Engineering Design of Systems: Models and Methods (4th ed.). Wiley.

Chapter Summary

The book has 15 chapters in three parts, about 464 pages in all, followed by a glossary, references and a list of historical references. Chapters end with problems, and the publisher notes case studies embedded in the text.

Part 1: Introduction, Overview, and Basic Knowledge

Chapter 1: Introduction to Systems Engineering

Opens with the definition of a system as hardware, software, people, facilities and procedures organized to meet stakeholders' objectives, and with systems of systems, which the chapter divides into acknowledged, collaborative, directed and virtual kinds. Its sections then survey approaches to implementing systems engineering (including the waterfall and spiral models, object-oriented design, composability engineering and agile systems engineering), modeling approaches (UML, DoDAF, SysML), the concept of architectures, requirements, the system life cycle, the design and integration process, and types of systems.

Chapter 2: Overview of the Systems Engineering Design Process

An overview of the systems engineering design process, placed ahead of the detailed treatment in Part 2.

Chapter 3: Modeling and SysML Modeling

Covers modeling and the SysML modeling language; the publisher notes that this edition addresses both SysML 1.0 and SysML 2.0.

Chapters 4–5: Discrete Mathematics: Sets, Relations, and Functions; Graphs and Directed Graphs (Digraphs)

Two chapters of mathematical background placed before the design chapters. The first covers sets, relations and functions; the second covers graphs and directed graphs.

Part 2: Design and Integration

Chapter 6: Requirements and Defining the Design Problem

Opens Part 2 with requirements and the definition of the design problem; the publisher lists stakeholder requirements among the topics.

Chapters 7–9: Functional Architecture Development; Physical Architecture Development; Allocated Architecture Development

The core of the method. A functional architecture is developed first, then a physical architecture, then the two are brought together in an allocated architecture. The publisher also lists logical architecture development among the topics.

Chapter 10: Interface Design

Treats the design of the interfaces between the elements of the architecture.

Chapter 11: Integration and Qualification

Covers putting the system together and showing that it meets its requirements; the publisher's description links this to verification and validation, including for systems of systems.

Chapter 12: A Complete Exercise of the Systems Engineering Process

A worked exercise that runs the process end to end, from the operational concept through to integration and qualification.

Part 3: Supplemental Topics

Chapter 13: The Value of Systems Engineering

Takes up the value of systems engineering as a discipline.

Chapter 14: Decision Analysis for Design Trades

Applies decision analysis to design trades; the publisher lists decision analysis for design trades among the topics.

Chapter 15: The Science and Analysis of Systems

Closes the book with the science and analysis of systems; the publisher lists scientific foundations for systems engineering among the topics, and a section on emerging trends in the field is new in this edition.

Key Concepts

Part 1

• System of systems: a set of independently managed systems that together provide a capability none could provide alone, with acknowledged, collaborative, directed and virtual categories.
• Systems engineering approaches: the waterfall and spiral models, object-oriented design, composability engineering and agile systems engineering.
• Modeling languages: UML, DoDAF and SysML as ways to record a design.
• Sets, relations, functions and graphs: the mathematics used to formalize architectures.

Part 2

• Requirements and the design problem: the starting point of the process.
• Functional, physical and allocated architecture: the three linked views developed in Chapters 7–9.
• Interface design, integration and qualification: how the pieces are connected and shown to work.

Part 3

• Decision analysis for design trades: structured comparison of alternatives.
• Value of systems engineering: the case for the discipline.

Critical Analysis

Strengths

• A single method carried from needs to qualification. Part 2 follows one design process through six consecutive chapters and then a complete exercise (Chapter 12), so the steps are seen in sequence and on one example.
• Mathematical background included. Chapters 4 and 5 set out sets, relations, functions and graphs before the design chapters, so readers do not need to bring that material from elsewhere.
• Current with software-centric practice. The fourth edition adds model-based systems engineering, digital engineering, digital threads, AI, SysML 1.0 and 2.0, digital twins and GENESYS software, and new sections on middle-out engineering, reverse engineering and agile systems engineering.
• Practice material. Problems close each chapter, and the publisher lists a companion website for students and instructors.

Limitations

• Not a first book. Part 1 moves in five chapters from definitions to SysML and discrete mathematics, and the design method that follows is model-based throughout; readers new to systems engineering may prefer a gentler introduction first.
• Tied to a tool set. The new edition's material is organized around SysML and GENESYS, so readers using other tools must translate.
• Selection of topics. The table of contents has no chapters devoted to areas such as reliability, supportability or cost analysis, which other textbooks in the list treat.

Where It Fits in the Course

Buede and Miller give a model-based account of the design process from requirements to qualification. Dym, Little and Orwin's Engineering Design: A Project-Based Introduction and Holt's Systems Engineering Demystified are introductions, the first project-based and the second written for newcomers and built around SysML; either can come before Buede and Miller. Kossiakoff and colleagues' Systems Engineering Principles and Practice and Blanchard and Fabrycky's Systems Engineering and Analysis are life-cycle-organized textbooks, the latter supplying decision and economic models and reliability and supportability analysis.

Crawley, Cameron and Selva's System Architecture is a graduate text on early architectural decisions and tradespace exploration; it overlaps with Chapters 7–9 and 14 and is a natural companion for readers who want more on architecture as a decision problem.

How to Use This Book

The publisher describes the book as suitable as a main text for undergraduate and graduate courses in systems engineering design, systems architecture and systems integration, and as a reference for practicing systems architects, systems engineers, industrial engineers, engineering managers and systems integrators.

A practical plan:

• Core: Chapters 1 and 2, then Chapters 6–12 in order. Read Chapter 12 alongside the earlier ones, as a model of how the steps fit together.
• Foundations: Chapter 3 before any model-building, and Chapters 4–5 when the notation of the architecture chapters needs support; readers comfortable with sets and graphs can skim them.
• Supplemental: Chapter 14 when design alternatives must be compared, Chapters 13 and 15 for context.

Work the end-of-chapter problems for Chapters 6–11 against a system of your own choosing, so that each architecture step produces a model that can be reused in the next.