Systems Engineering

Once requirements have been developed to a certain level, the next step is Functional Analysis. Engineering analysis in general is the breaking down of an object, system, problem or issue into its basic elements, to get at its essential features and their relationships to each other, and to external elements. Analysis includes developing abstract models or performing calculations for the component elements of a system, to help arrive at a complete and optimized design. Functional analysis is a breakdown on the basis of what a system does, in terms of the functions it performs or a sequence of operations. This is before considering how it is performed. "How" is a design solution, which we don't want to choose prematurely. Instead we want to consider all the alternatives and optimizations, which we do in later steps of the process. Prior to selecting the best design, there may be multiple functional breakdowns, at least one for each system concept, and often alternate versions within a concept. The details of these steps and their interactions are recorded in the form of diagrams and models, which can then be used for calculations and assessments.