Design review
Encyclopedia
In the United States military and NASA
's engineering design life cycle
, a phase of design reviews are held for technical and programmatic accountability and to authorize the release of funding to a project. This article describes the major phases of that systems engineering
process. A design review provides an in-depth assessment, by an independent team of discipline experts and managers, that the design (or concept) is realistic and attainable from a programmatic and technical sense.
Design review is also required of medical device
developers as part of a system of design controls
described in the US Food and Drug Administration
's governing regulations in 21CFR820. In 21CFR820.3(h), design review is described as " documented, comprehensive, systematic examination of the design to evaluate the adequacy of the design requirements, to evaluate the capability of the design to meet these requirements, and to identify problems." The FDA also specifies that a design review should include an independent reviewer
.
The MCR affirms the mission need and examines the proposed mission's objectives and the concept for meeting those objectives.
System Requirements Review
The SRR examines the functional and performance requirements defined for the system and the preliminary program or project plan and ensures that the requirements and the selected concept will satisfy the mission.
Mission Definition Review
The MDR examines the proposed requirements, the mission architecture, and the flow down to all functional elements of the mission to ensure that the overall concept is complete, feasible, and consistent with available resources.
System Definition Review
The SDR examines the proposed system architecture and design and the flow down to all functional elements of the system.
Preliminary Design Review
The PDR demonstrates that the preliminary design meets all system requirements with acceptable risk and within the cost and schedule constraints and establishes the basis for proceeding with detailed design. It will show that the correct design options have been selected, interfaces have been identified, and verification methods have been described.
The following are typical objectives of a PDR:
Critical Design Review
The CDR demonstrates that the maturity of the design is appropriate to support proceeding with full-scale fabrication, assembly, integration, and test. CDR determines that the technical effort is on track to complete the flight and ground system development and mission operations, meeting mission performance requirements within the identified cost and schedule constraints.
The following are typical objectives of a CDR:
Production Readiness Review
A PRR is held for FS&GS projects developing or acquiring multiple or similar systems greater than three or as determined by the project. The PRR determines the readiness of the system developers to efficiently produce the required number of systems. It ensures that the production plans; fabrication, assembly, and integration enabling products; and personnel are in place and ready to begin production.
Test Readiness Review
A TRR ensures that the test article (hardware/software), test facility, support personnel, and test procedures are ready for testing and data acquisition, reduction, and control. This is not a prerequisite for KDP E.
System Acceptance Review
The SAR verifies the completeness of the specific end products in relation to their expected maturity level and assesses compliance to stakeholder expectations. The SAR examines the system, its end products and documentation, and test data and analyses that support verification. It also ensures that the system has sufficient technical maturity to authorize its shipment to the designated operational facility or launch site.
Operational Readiness Review
The ORR examines the actual system characteristics and the procedures used in the system or end product's operation and ensures that all system and support (flight and ground) hardware, software, personnel, procedures, and user documentation accurately reflect the deployed state of the system.
The following are typical objectives of an ORR:
Flight Readiness Review
The FRR examines tests, demonstrations, analyses, and audits that determine the system's readiness for a safe and successful flight or launch and for subsequent flight operations. It also ensures that all flight and ground hardware, software, personnel, and procedures are operationally ready.
The following are typical objectives of a FRR:
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's engineering design life cycle
Systems Development Life Cycle
The systems development life cycle , or software development life cycle in systems engineering, information systems and software engineering, is a process of creating or altering information systems, and the models and methodologies that people use to develop these systems.In software engineering...
, a phase of design reviews are held for technical and programmatic accountability and to authorize the release of funding to a project. This article describes the major phases of that systems engineering
Systems engineering
Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering that focuses on how complex engineering projects should be designed and managed over the life cycle of the project. Issues such as logistics, the coordination of different teams, and automatic control of machinery become more...
process. A design review provides an in-depth assessment, by an independent team of discipline experts and managers, that the design (or concept) is realistic and attainable from a programmatic and technical sense.
Design review is also required of medical device
Medical device
A medical device is a product which is used for medical purposes in patients, in diagnosis, therapy or surgery . Whereas medicinal products achieve their principal action by pharmacological, metabolic or immunological means. Medical devices act by other means like physical, mechanical, thermal,...
developers as part of a system of design controls
Design controls
Design Controls designates the application of a formal methodology to the conduct of product activities.It is often mandatory to implement such practice when designing and developing products within regulated industries Design Controls designates the application of a formal methodology to the...
described in the US Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
's governing regulations in 21CFR820. In 21CFR820.3(h), design review is described as " documented, comprehensive, systematic examination of the design to evaluate the adequacy of the design requirements, to evaluate the capability of the design to meet these requirements, and to identify problems." The FDA also specifies that a design review should include an independent reviewer
Independent reviewer
The US Food and Drug Administration requires that developers of medical device follow a system of design controls. A key part of this system is design review, defined in section as "a documented, comprehensive, systematic examination of the design to evaluate the adequacy of the design...
.
Review process
Mission Concept ReviewThe MCR affirms the mission need and examines the proposed mission's objectives and the concept for meeting those objectives.
System Requirements Review
The SRR examines the functional and performance requirements defined for the system and the preliminary program or project plan and ensures that the requirements and the selected concept will satisfy the mission.
Mission Definition Review
The MDR examines the proposed requirements, the mission architecture, and the flow down to all functional elements of the mission to ensure that the overall concept is complete, feasible, and consistent with available resources.
System Definition Review
The SDR examines the proposed system architecture and design and the flow down to all functional elements of the system.
Preliminary Design Review
The PDR demonstrates that the preliminary design meets all system requirements with acceptable risk and within the cost and schedule constraints and establishes the basis for proceeding with detailed design. It will show that the correct design options have been selected, interfaces have been identified, and verification methods have been described.
The following are typical objectives of a PDR:
- Ensure that all system requirements have been allocated, the requirements are complete, and the flowdown is adequate to verify system performance
- Show that the proposed design is expected to meet the functional and performance requirements
- Show sufficient maturity in the proposed design approach to proceed to final design
- Show that the design is verifiable and that the risks have been identified, characterized, and mitigated where appropriate
Critical Design Review
The CDR demonstrates that the maturity of the design is appropriate to support proceeding with full-scale fabrication, assembly, integration, and test. CDR determines that the technical effort is on track to complete the flight and ground system development and mission operations, meeting mission performance requirements within the identified cost and schedule constraints.
The following are typical objectives of a CDR:
- Ensure that the "build-to" baseline contains detailed hardware and software specifications that can meet functional and performance requirements
- Ensure that the design has been satisfactorily audited by production, verification, operations, and other specialty engineering organizations
- Ensure that the production processes and controls are sufficient to proceed to the fabrication stage
- Establish that planned Quality Assurance (QA) activities will establish perceptive verification and screening processes for producing a quality product
- Verify that the final design fulfills the specifications established at PDR
Production Readiness Review
A PRR is held for FS&GS projects developing or acquiring multiple or similar systems greater than three or as determined by the project. The PRR determines the readiness of the system developers to efficiently produce the required number of systems. It ensures that the production plans; fabrication, assembly, and integration enabling products; and personnel are in place and ready to begin production.
Test Readiness Review
A TRR ensures that the test article (hardware/software), test facility, support personnel, and test procedures are ready for testing and data acquisition, reduction, and control. This is not a prerequisite for KDP E.
System Acceptance Review
The SAR verifies the completeness of the specific end products in relation to their expected maturity level and assesses compliance to stakeholder expectations. The SAR examines the system, its end products and documentation, and test data and analyses that support verification. It also ensures that the system has sufficient technical maturity to authorize its shipment to the designated operational facility or launch site.
Operational Readiness Review
The ORR examines the actual system characteristics and the procedures used in the system or end product's operation and ensures that all system and support (flight and ground) hardware, software, personnel, procedures, and user documentation accurately reflect the deployed state of the system.
The following are typical objectives of an ORR:
- Establish that the system is ready to transition into an operational mode through examination of available ground and flight test results, analyses, and operational demonstrations
- Confirm that the system is operationally and logistically supported in a satisfactory manner considering all modes of operation and support (normal, contingency, and unplanned)
- Establish that operational documentation is complete and represents the system configuration and its planned modes of operation
- Establish that the training function is in place and has demonstrated capability to support all aspects of system maintenance, preparation, operation, and recovery.
Flight Readiness Review
The FRR examines tests, demonstrations, analyses, and audits that determine the system's readiness for a safe and successful flight or launch and for subsequent flight operations. It also ensures that all flight and ground hardware, software, personnel, and procedures are operationally ready.
The following are typical objectives of a FRR:
- Receive certification that flight operations can safely proceed with acceptable risk.
- Confirm that the system and support elements are properly configured and ready for launch.
- Establish that all interfaces are compatible and function as expected.
- Establish that the system state supports a launch "go" decision based on go/no-go criteria.
See also
- Critical path methodCritical path methodThe critical path method is an algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities. It is an important tool for effective project management.-History:...
- Technical peer review
- Systems Development Life CycleSystems Development Life CycleThe systems development life cycle , or software development life cycle in systems engineering, information systems and software engineering, is a process of creating or altering information systems, and the models and methodologies that people use to develop these systems.In software engineering...
- Engineering design process