System Engineering Development Style
The fundamentals of engineering design, development and validation.
The essence of SE can be captured into this so called V-Model. Unlike waterflow model, V model does not proceed step by step but a design process begins with the end in mind. V model also be used in different depth of the context. E.g. from V model of the car development down into V model for the brake development.
Looking at the image above. We can start from requirement analysis. Requirements are crucial as it determines what functions are needed, then allocate those functions to physical systems.
Begin the design with testing plan in early stage of development.
Before proceed to System Design, we should also have acceptance testing plan in mind. Again: Begin with the end in the design process. This step is important as we could get carried away with personal preferences, past experience or simply bias as we continue the development process. Remember the last time, the argument of which system is better? There is no better system but there is a best system that fit the requirement and able to be tested.
Development process follows the arrow direction but design and management process flows down the inverted pyramid from both end to the center bottom.
The whole V model can be carried out by 3 type of personnel.
Manager/Project/Subsystem Leader: Focus on the less detailed top half of V model namely Requirement Analysis, System Design (Architecture), System Testing, Acceptance Testing.
Engineer: needless to say, this personnel is the one with deep technical knowledge and experience to design the object down to the smallest details to resistors, bolts & nuts and lines of codes.
The block they should focus is Object Design, Coding/Manufacturing and Unit Testing.
Test Engineer: Verifies and validates the subsystem to systems. They should test the integration of the subsystems and reports to Manager. If some part is not comply the requirement, he/she has to go back to low block and revise with Engineer. Test Engineer prepares the documents for future references and also standard of procedure. The block they focus is Unit Testing, System Testing and Acceptance Testing.
Generally, fresher engineer could start from assisting Test Engineer and then either go towards management track or engineering track. In a case smaller group, Manager and Engineer will work share the task of Test Engineer.
Key Takeway: Refer the V model in terms of Left-Right and Top-Bottom for System Design and Testing, Task list development, Human Resource Planning. Reminder again, begin design with testing plan in early stage.
