Consists of identifying a new system that you will define to address a need in a problem area that you select.

Look at the guidance for SYS501 topicsDownload guidance for SYS501 topics that provides some examples from previous classes. Use this for ideas to formulate the problem space that your system will solve. You will then define the need statement that your system will address.

Need Statement: Start by identifying the problem that you will be addressing. Consider performing additional research or leveraging your own personal experience so that you are comfortable with the problem statement. Then develop a need statement that will require a system solution and that supports the problem you identified. Use the "five whys" approach (asking 'why' up to five times) to get to the root need for the system. To this end, develop a need statement according to the following guidelines:

Stakeholders: Next, identify the key stakeholders and their requirements for the system. These are not formal requirements but reflect the 'voices' of the stakeholders in relation to the need/opportunity being addressed. Document this step using the following guidelines:

Operational Concept: Next, develop two or three operational scenarios that describe how the system will be used in its operational state. For the operational scenarios, include a description of the physical environment, a general sequence of events, and how the 'world' will be different (hopefully better) with the use of the system.

Operational Requirements: Next, define a set of operational (stakeholder) requirements that define an estimate of system operational effectiveness. Here you should define measures of effectiveness (MoEs) and measures of performance (MoPs) that specify what results a new system should achieve to meet the identified need/opportunity, together with a list of system capabilities.

Functional and Performance Requirements: Develop a top level set of functional and performance requirements. Identify the functions that the system will need to perform and how well the system will need to perform them. That is, the functional requirements cover what the system has to do to meet the need, and the performance requirements cover how well the system has to perform those functions.

Functional requirements focus on the capabilities of the system; performance requirements address the characteristics of the system and include a quantitative measure. Keep in mind your probably do not have subject matter expertise in the system domain that you chose, and so the performance requirements can be stated with TBD values or estimated ranges. These functions should be defined no further than needed to describe the system and what the system needs to do (at the system level).

Relate these functional and performance requirements to the MOEs and MOPs.