Large infrastructure projects are often synonymous with complexity, involving multiple stakeholders, intricate design activities, and a myriad of requirements. Such projects, whether they are public works, private structures, industrial plants, utilities, or transportation systems, can greatly benefit from the application of Systems Engineering (SE), an interdisciplinary approach that focuses on defining customer needs and required functionality early in the development cycle.

Despite the potential benefits, the adoption of SE in the construction industry has been slower compared to other sectors such as aerospace and defense, automotive and medical devices. This article looks into the benefits of SE, the challenges of implementing it, and how it can be applied effectively in large infrastructure projects.

Systems Engineering: An Overview

Systems Engineering is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on designing and managing complex systems over their life cycles. It involves a systematic process that includes the definition of customer needs, documentation of requirements, and the synthesis and validation of designs.

The goal of SE is to ensure that all probable aspects of a system or project are considered and integrated into a whole. It involves taking a holistic view of a project, considering both the business and technical needs of all stakeholders to ensure a quality product that meets user needs.

Why Systems Engineering in Infrastructure Projects?

Infrastructure projects are characterized by their large scale and complexity. They often involve multiple stakeholders, intricate design activities, and a host of requirements that need to be met. These projects also often cross into different jurisdictions, leading to varying and sometimes conflicting requirements for different physical locations of work. All these factors increase the risks of project failure.

The application of SE principles in such projects can provide a structured approach to managing this complexity and reducing the associated risks. It can help ensure that these projects are delivered on time, within budget, and meet all their requirements.

Enhanced System Quality

SE’s focus on thorough planning at the start of the project, including identifying stakeholder needs, documenting how the desired system will operate, and establishing system requirements, can improve system quality. It also provides a detailed approach for ensuring that these requirements are tracked through the testing stage and verified in a disciplined manner, using a requirements verification traceability matrix (RVTM).

Increased Stakeholder Participation

SE requires the involvement of all stakeholders throughout the project to ensure that the project continues to meet stakeholder needs. This continuous involvement helps the project team identify and document any changes to the requirements as early in the project as possible. The use of a standard SE project process helps stakeholders actively participate in the development of the system and facilitates the involvement of new stakeholders by reducing the learning curve.

Ensured Design Integration

The thorough and detailed documentation of requirements in a requirements matrix provides a good foundation for design integration. The matrix documents the connections from the source files, such as contract documents, down to very detailed requirements for smaller system elements. It also helps document changes in requirements, enabling the team to identify impacts of the changes on the requirements for other parts of the system.

Reduced Cost and Schedule Overruns

Combined with the disciplined project controls that form part of the SE approach, the rigorous tracking of requirements helps reduce the risk of schedule delays and cost overruns.

Challenges in Applying Systems Engineering

While the benefits of applying SE in large infrastructure projects are numerous, there are also challenges. These include:

Complexity and Stakeholder Involvement

Large infrastructure projects often involve multiple stakeholders at different levels of government and in the community. This increases the complexity of managing requirements and ensuring that all stakeholder needs are met.

Varying Codes and Standards

Infrastructure projects can cross into different jurisdictions, leading to varying and sometimes conflicting requirements. The application of SE can help manage these varying requirements and ensure that all codes and standards are met.

Design-Build Projects

In design-build projects, there is a shift in responsibility for the quality of the work, including the development of final requirements and specifications, away from the agency and towards the contractor. This increases the potential for misinterpreted requirements or incomplete incorporation of requirements.

Despite these challenges, the application of SE can greatly improve the success of large infrastructure projects by providing a structured approach to managing complexity and reducing project risks.

Mitigating Risks

To enhance Systems Engineering (SE) implementation within an organization, it is crucial to secure management support. Management support is essential for cultural alignment, building a persuasive case for change, and providing necessary political capital.

In well-established organizational cultures employees may resist changes, necessitating a shift in responsibilities, retraining, and adopting new approaches.

Significant SE skills and knowledge are required for successful implementations. Utilizing external SE expertise to enhance employees’ SE knowledge and skills through training — focusing on process changes and supporting tooling is essential.

Additionally, improving SE execution involves establishing clear standards and procedures. Include initiating verification and validation from the project’s outset in a structured manner, assigning responsibilities explicitly, and incorporating these processes into project milestones is required. Leveraging tools like IBM’s Engineering Lifecycle Management suite to better control and document design changes ensures a more streamlined and controlled SE execution process.

Case studies

Rail Projects Victoria (RPV) uses a SE approach to increase visibility and traceability across the project lifecycle, and IBM technologies are helped RPV recognize and mitigate risks, delays and unwanted expenditures that can stem from unforeseen changes.

California High Speed Rail Project — Another example of a large infrastructure project that required its contractors to use an SE approach is the California High Speed Rail Project. This project uses IBM DOORS as the projects requirement management tool to store requirements documents, maintain traces between requirements and objective evidence, store and manage interfaces, create requirements verification and traceability matrices, and more. The application of SE in this project helped to address the complexity of the project and ensure that all requirements were met.

Enhancing Infrastructure Projects with IBM Engineering Solutions

The complex nature of large infrastructure projects demands a systematic and structured approach to manage their inherent complexities and ensure their success. Systems Engineering (SE) represents an interdisciplinary methodology that can significantly improve the outcomes of these projects by focusing on the comprehensive integration of stakeholder needs, requirements documentation, and design validation throughout the project lifecycle. While the adoption of SE within the construction sector has been slow, the growing complexity of infrastructure projects underscores the vital need for its application.

IBM Engineering offers a suite of solutions that can further enhance the application of SE principles in infrastructure projects, making it easier for organizations to navigate the challenges and capitalize on the benefits of SE. These solutions include:

• IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS Next: This tool provides a robust platform for capturing, tracing, analyzing, and managing requirements. It is instrumental in ensuring that all stakeholder needs are comprehensively documented and integrated into the project design from the outset, thereby enhancing system quality and facilitating stakeholder participation.
• IBM Engineering Workflow Management: This solution helps in orchestrating the various activities and tasks across the project lifecycle, ensuring that all aspects of the project are aligned with the defined requirements. It supports increased collaboration among stakeholders and aids in managing the complexity associated with large-scale projects.
• IBM Engineering Test Management: This tool focuses on streamlining the verification and validation processes. It ensures that the project outcomes are in alignment with the initial requirements, thereby reducing the risk of cost and schedule overruns. It also facilitates the rigorous tracking of requirements and their successful implementation.
• Other IBM Engineering Solutions: Beyond these core solutions, IBM offers additional tools that can support specific aspects of SE in infrastructure projects, such as change management, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), and lifecycle optimization. These tools work in tandem to provide a comprehensive ecosystem that supports the holistic application of SE principles.

By integrating IBM Engineering solutions into their SE practices, organizations involved in large infrastructure projects can achieve:

• Enhanced system quality through thorough planning and requirements management.
• Increased stakeholder participation by facilitating collaboration and communication.
• Ensured design integration through detailed documentation and traceability.
• Reduced cost and schedule overruns by implementing disciplined project controls and rigorous requirements tracking.

The successful application of Systems Engineering in infrastructure projects is critical for managing their complexity and ensuring project success. With the support of IBM Engineering solutions such as DOORS Next, Workflow Management, and Test Management, organizations can effectively apply SE principles to enhance project outcomes, mitigate risks, and achieve their objectives within the constraints of time and budget. As the construction industry evolves, the integration of these advanced tools and methodologies will become increasingly important in delivering high-quality infrastructure projects that meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders.

If you are interested in learning how SE solutions can be applied to your project visit 321 Gang, or email us.

References

Systems Engineering for Infrastructure Projects — INCOSE Symposium Presentation — 32 Annual INCOSE Symposium, 2022 Detroit, MI

321 Gang — Large Enterprise Construction Company short client survey results

Make large public works projects run smoothly — IBM blog post

Aslaksen, E.W. (2005). “Systems engineering and the construction industry.” Requirements and Construction, pp. 1–4.

California Department of Transportation, Division of Research and Innovation (2007). SE Guidebook for ITS.

Emes, M.R., Smith, A., and Majanovic-Halburd, L. (2012). “Systems for construction: lessons for the construction industry from experiences in spacecraft systems engineering.” Intelligent Buildings International, Vol. 4, №2.

Hoehne, O. (2012). “Entering a brave new world — applying systems engineering to American infrastructure projects — case study: the California high-speed train project.” Proceedings of the 22nd Annual International Symposium, International Council on Systems Engineering, Rome, Italy, July 9–12, 2012.

International Council On Systems Engineering (2011). Systems Engineering Handbook: A Guide For System Life Cycle Processes and Activities.

International Council On Systems Engineering (2012). Guide for the Application of Systems Engineering in Large Infrastructure Projects.

International Council On Systems Engineering (2013). Systems Engineering in Transportation Projects: A Library of Case Studies.

If you are interested in learning more contact 321 Gang.