System Analysis
The course is dedicated to system analysis — the initial stage of systems engineering, which covers the creation, implementation and development of technical and digital systems throughout their entire lifecycle. Special attention is given to forming system requirements, developing its functional structure and architecture, as well as to modelling and analysing the lifecycle of engineering solutions.
System analysis is presented as the initial stage of systems engineering — an engineering activity aimed at creating, implementing and developing technical and digital systems throughout their entire lifecycle. The discipline has a methodological character and focuses on developing students’ systemic engineering thinking, which is essential for designing modern digital systems.
During the course, students deepen their understanding of the nature of complex technical and cyber‑physical systems. They master methods for formulating engineering tasks and describing problem situations, learn to analyse stakeholders and system goals, and acquire skills in forming system requirements. The programme covers the development of a system’s functional structure and architecture, modelling and analysing the lifecycle of engineering systems, as well as assessing the technological maturity of systems and technologies.
The programme includes modern development models, including the V‑model of the system lifecycle (with design stages on the left side and verification/integration on the right) and the spiral development model for iterative refinement of requirements and architecture. Engineering activity is viewed as lifecycle management, encompassing problem formulation, system design, component development and integration, implementation, operation, modernisation and decommissioning.
A key element of the course is a cross‑cutting project that integrates theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Within this project, students select a domain of a digital or cyber‑physical system, describe the problem situation, analyse stakeholders, formulate system goals, develop requirements, build a functional structure, design an architectural concept, model the system lifecycle and assess its technological maturity.
LLMs are actively used as multifunctional tools to support learning and practice. They serve as handbooks that explain key terms, analytical assistants that help formulate requirements and identify architectural solutions, and engineering opponents for the critical analysis of system models. At the same time, students learn to verify LLM recommendations, as the models may generate plausible but incorrect answers. This approach fosters a culture of critical use of LLM assistants in system analysis.
OBJECTIVES
Developing systemic thinking for analysing technical and digital systems;
Mastering methods for formulating engineering tasks and problem situations;
Learning methods for analysing stakeholders and system goals;
Mastering methods for forming system requirements;
Learning functional decomposition and architectural analysis methods;
Mastering principles of systems engineering and engineering system lifecycle;
Developing skills in assessing technological maturity of systems and technologies;
Fostering skills in reasoned analysis of engineering solutions;
Developing a culture of critical use of LLM assistants in system analysis.
KEY TASKS
Forming an understanding of the nature of complex engineering systems;
Learning system analysis and systemic thinking methods;
Mastering methods for identifying problem situations and defining system boundaries;
Learning stakeholder and user need analysis methods;
Mastering goal formulation methods;
Learning requirement formation and structuring methods;
Mastering functional decomposition methods;
Learning architectural system description principles;
Mastering system modelling methods;
Learning engineering system lifecycle;
Mastering systems engineering principles;
Learning the system lifecycle model (V‑model);
Learning methods for assessing technological maturity;
Developing skills in system analysis of digital systems;
Mastering practices of using LLM in engineering analysis and system documentation preparation.
Main topics of the course:
1. Engineering as creation of artificial systems — Introduction to engineering as a process of creating and developing artificial systems to solve societal problems, with a focus on the role of engineers in lifecycle management.
2. Concept of a system and system boundaries — Explores the definition of a system, its elements and connections, and the importance of defining system boundaries and interactions with the environment.
3. Problem situation formulation — Covers methods for identifying and describing problem situations and defining the context for the future system.
4. System stakeholders — Examines different types of stakeholders (users, owners, developers, regulators) and how to analyse their expectations and potential conflicts of interest.
5. System goals and goal tree — Introduces goal formulation as a key stage of system analysis and teaches how to build a hierarchical goal tree.
6. System requirements — Focuses on functional and non‑functional requirements, constraints, and their role as the foundation for system design.
7. Functional structure of a system — Covers functional decomposition: describing a system through a hierarchy of functions to reveal its structure and key processes.
8. System architecture — Explains how architecture defines the component structure and interactions, and how to transition from requirements to design.
9. Architectural system views — Discusses multiple architectural views (functional, informational, technical) to consider a system from different perspectives.
10. System modelling — Introduces methods for building system models and the basics of model‑based systems engineering (MBSE) for analysing system structure before implementation.
11. Digital models and digital twins — Compares digital models (formalised system descriptions) and digital twins (models of system behaviour during operation).
12. System lifecycle — Outlines the main stages of a system’s lifecycle (concept, development, implementation, operation, modernisation) and their importance in systems engineering.
13. V‑model of systems engineering — Explains the V‑model linking design and verification stages, ensuring requirement traceability throughout the lifecycle.
14. Technological maturity of a system — Teaches how to assess technology maturity using the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale, from idea to industrial operation.
15. Spiral development of engineering systems — Covers iterative development, refining requirements and improving architecture through the spiral development model.
