Methodological Aspects of Problem Formulation

Problem Formulation begins after a general, conceptual, intuitive, yet concise statement of the system project goals and boundary conditions has been made. The object of this step of a system study is to formalize the system concept, reduce its ambiguity, and derive a family of subprojects which can be subjected to engineering solutions. The major focus of interest during Problem Formulation is to reinterpret the goal oriented description of the system concept into a consideration of the practical obstacles to realization of the system concept. The obstacles include environmental and operational factors as well as random failures in the system itself. To achieve the reinterpretation, a study of the basic concepts of system and state suggest the methodological framework.