System Design Process Guide*

Introduction:

1.1 Design Evolution
The design process is a generic process that is repeated a number of times by several different organizations as the design evolves in a typical DoD 5000.02 development life cycle. The design evolution described in this guide includes the following stages:

• Conceptual System Design(s)
• Strawman System Design(s)
• Component Prototype Design(s)
• System Design(s) & Prototypes
• Preliminary Design(s)
• Detailed Design
• Engineering Development Model (EDM) As-Built Design
• Low- Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Design
• Full- Rate Production Design
• Operational Version Design(s)

1.2 Air Force System Engineering Assessment Model (AF SEAM)

Because the Air Force Materiel Command and the Electronic Systems Center (ESC) have chosen to use AF SEAM as a process maturity model, the design process in this paper includes an integration and assembly goal in addition to the traditional design synthesis approach (found in most engineering design processes) in order to comply with the AF SEAM Design Process Area. A “context diagram” illustrating the goals and specific practices for the AF SEAM Design Process Area is presented in Figure 2. The three AF SEAM Design Process Area goals are shown as rectangles enclosed by dashed lines. The Specific Practices within each of the three goals are shown as circles. Typical Work Products are shown in orange with a bar above and below. Finally, other interfacing AF SEAM process areas (Requirements, Decision Analysis, and Verification and Validation)