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Contents

6.1    Technical Planning
6.2    Requirements Management
6.3    Interface Management
6.4    Technical Risk Management
6.5    Configuration Management
6.6    Technical Data Management
6.7    Technical Assessment
6.8    Decision Analysis

The definition, management, and control of interfaces are crucial to successful programs or projects. Interface management is a process to assist in controlling product development when efforts are divided among parties (e.g., Government, contractors, geographically diverse technical teams, etc.) and/or to define and maintain compliance among the products that should interoperate.

The basic tasks that need to be established involve the management of internal and external interfaces of the various levels of products and operator tasks to support product integration. These basic tasks are as follows:

  • Define interfaces;
  • Identify the characteristics of the interfaces (physical, electrical, mechanical, human, etc.);
  • Ensure interface compatibility at all defined interfaces by using a process documented and approved by the project;
  • Strictly control all of the interface processes during design, construction, operation, etc.;
  • Identify lower level products to be assembled and integrated (from the Product Transition Process);
  • Identify assembly drawings or other documentation that show the complete configuration of the product being integrated, a parts list, and any assembly instructions (e.g., torque requirements for fasteners);
  • Identify end-product, design-definition-specified requirements (specifications), and configuration documentation for the applicable work breakdown structure model, including interface specifications, in the form appropriate to satisfy the product life cycle phase success criteria (from the Configuration Management Process); and
  • Identify product integration-enabling products (from existing resources or the Product Transition Process for enabling product realization).

6.3.1 Process Description

Figure 6.3-1 provides a typical flow diagram for the Interface Management Process and identifies typical inputs, outputs, and activities to consider in addressing interface management.

Interface Process Figure 6.3-1

6.3.1.1 Inputs

Typical inputs needed to understand and address interface management would include the following:

  • Interface Requirements: These include the internal and external functional, physical, and performance interface requirements developed as part of the Technical Requirements Definition Process for the product(s).
  • Interface Change Requests: These include changes resulting from program or project agreements or changes on the part of the technical team as part of the Technical Assessment Process.

Other inputs that might be useful are:

  • System Description: This allows the design of the system to be explored and examined to determine where system interfaces exist. Contractor arrangements will also dictate where interfaces are needed.
  • System Boundaries: Documented physical boundaries, components, and/or subsystems, which are all drivers for determining where interfaces exist.
  • Organizational Structure: Decisions on which organization will dictate interfaces, particularly when there is the need to jointly agree on shared interface parameters of a system. The program and project WBS will also provide organizational interface boundaries.
  • Boards Structure: Defined board structure that identifies organizational interface responsibilities.

6.3.1.2 Process Activities

6.3.1.2.1 Prepare or Update Interface Management Procedures

These procedures establish the interface management responsibilities, what process will be used to maintain and control the internal and external functional and physical interfaces (including human), and how the change process will be conducted. Training of the technical teams or other support may also be required and planned.

6.3.1.2.2 Conduct Interface Management during System Design Activities

During project Formulation, the ConOps of the product is analyzed to identify both external and internal interfaces. This analysis will establish the origin, destination, stimuli, and special characteristics of the interfaces that need to be documented and maintained. As the system structure and architecture emerges, interfaces will be added and existing interfaces will be changed and should be maintained. Thus, the Interface Management Process has a close relationship to other areas, such as requirements definition and configuration management, during this period.

6.3.1.2.3 Conduct Interface Management during Product Integration

During product integration, interface management activities would support the review of integration and assembly procedures to ensure interfaces are properly marked and compatible with specifications and interface control documents. The interface management process has a close relationship to verification and validation. Interface control documentation and approved interface requirement changes are used as inputs to the Product Verification Process and the Product Validation Process, particularly where verification test constraints and interface parameters are needed to set the test objectives and test plans. Interface requirements verification is a critical aspect of the overall system verification.

6.3.1.2.4 Conduct Interface Control

Typically, an Interface Working Group (IWG) establishes communication links between those responsible for interfacing systems, end products, enabling products, and subsystems. The IWG has the responsibility to ensure accomplishment of the planning, scheduling, and execution of all interface activities. An IWG is typically a technical team with appropriate technical membership from the interfacing parties (e.g., the project, the contractor, etc.). The IWG may work independently or as a part of a larger change control board.

6.3.1.2.5 Capture Work Products

Work products include the strategy and procedures for conducting interface management, rationale for interface decisions made, assumptions made in approving or denying an interface change, actions taken to correct identified interface anomalies, lessons learned and updated support and interface agreement documentation.

6.3.1.3 Outputs

Typical outputs needed to capture interface management would include:

  • Interface control documentation. This is the documentation that identifies and captures the interface information and the approved interface change requests. Types of interface documentation include the Interface Requirements Document (IRD), Interface Control Document/Drawing (ICD), Interface Definition Document (IDD), and Interface Control Plan (ICP). These outputs will then be maintained and approved using the Configuration Management Process and become a part of the overall technical data package for the project.
  • Approved interface requirement changes. After the interface requirements have been baselined, the Requirements Management Process should be used to identify the need for changes, evaluate the impact of the proposed change, document the final approval/disapproval, and update the requirements documentation/tool/database. For interfaces that require approval from all sides, unanimous approval is required. Changing interface requirements late in the design or implementation life cycle is more likely to have a significant impact on the cost, schedule, or technical design/operations.
  • Other work products. These work products include the strategy and procedures for conducting interface management, the rationale for interface decisions made, the assumption made in approving or denying an interface change, the actions taken to correct identified interface anomalies, the lessons learned in performing the interface management activities, and the updated support and interface agreement documentation.

6.3.2 Interface Management Guidance

Refer to Section 6.3.2 in the NASA Expanded Guidance for Systems Engineering at https://nen.nasa.gov/web/se/doc-repository for additional guidance on:

  • interface requirements documents,
  • interface control documents,
  • interface control drawings,
  • interface definition documents,
  • the interface control plans, and
  • interface management tasks.