Developing and validating a framework for integrating systems and software engineering

As illustrated in the harmonization of ISO 15288 and ISO 12207, the disciplines of systems engineering and software engineering share many processes, methods, and concerns. In most systems of interest, software now provides a significant majority of functionality and increasingly is a significant component in determining non-functional attributes. Failures in system acquisition and implementation are often attributed to systems and/or software engineering shortfalls. The need to apply systems engineering to software design and development, as well as the need to incorporate software engineering concepts into systems engineering decisions, implies that a closer relationship between the two disciplines is appropriate. This paper states a clear rationale for integrating the two disciplines, defines a framework that establishes a vocabulary for discussing integration, and presents initial findings in using that framework to describe systems and software integration in ongoing defence programs.