Architectural complexity management of engineering systems is becoming a major issue as systems built nowadays implement more complex technologies and innovations. In this paper, we present a preliminary research finding where quantitative values for an engineering system's architectural complexity are mapped with design effort for individual subsystems that are part of the system architecture. This was done to establish relationships between abstract architectural complexity of engineering systems and metrics that can directly be applied to system design and development. A railroad train driving bogie was used for the case study.

References

1.
Arena
,
M. V.
,
Younossi
,
O.
,
Brancato
,
K.
,
Blickstein
,
I.
, and
Grammich
,
C. A.
,
2008
, “
Why Has the Cost of Fixed-Wing Aircraft Risen?
” RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA.
2.
Lewis
,
K.
,
2012
, “
Making Sense of Elegant Complexity in Design
,”
ASME J. Mech. Des.
,
134
(
12
), p.
120801
.
3.
Min
,
G.
,
Suh
,
E. S.
, and
Hölttä-Otto
,
K.
,
2014
, “
Impact of Technology Infusion on System Complexity
,”
ASME
Paper No. DETC2015-46547.
4.
Min
,
G.
,
Suh
,
E. S.
, and
Hölttä-Otto
,
K.
,
2015
, “
System Architecture, Level of Decomposition, and Structural Complexity: Analysis and Observations
,”
ASME J. Mech. Des.
,
138
(
2
), p.
021102
.
5.
Mcnerney
,
J.
,
Farmer
,
J. D.
,
Redner
,
S.
, and
Trancik
,
J. E.
,
2011
, “
Role of Design Complexity in Technology Improvement
,”
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.
,
108
(
22
), pp.
9008
9013
.
6.
Sheard
,
S. A.
, and
Mostashari
,
A.
,
2013
, “
5.2.2 Complexity Measures to Predict System Development Project Outcomes
,”
INCOSE International Symposium
, Philadelphia, PA, June 24–27, pp.
170
183
.
7.
Sinha
,
K.
, and
de Weck
,
O. L.
,
2013
, “
Structural Complexity Quantification for Engineered Complex Systems and Implications on System Architecture and Design
,”
ASME
Paper No. DETC2013-12013.
8.
Weyuker
,
E. J.
,
1988
, “
Evaluating Software Complexity Measures
,”
IEEE Trans. Software Eng.
,
14
(
9
), pp.
1357
1365
.
9.
Sinha
,
K.
,
2014
, “
Structural Complexity and Its Implications for Design of Cyber Physical Systems
,” Ph.D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.
10.
Suh
,
E. S.
,
Furst
,
M. R.
,
Mihalyov
,
K. J.
, and
De Weck
,
O.
,
2010
, “
Technology Infusion for Complex Systems: A Framework and Case Study
,”
Syst. Eng.
,
13
(
2
), pp.
186
203
.
You do not currently have access to this content.