Tailoring systems engineering processes for integration of research and prototyping activities

Many engineering processes exist in text books and industry or international standards. In practice, these processes are rarely recognised consistently and literally; typically, the engineering process is customised, if not completely reworked, based on the circumstances and requirements of individual projects. One feature commonly lacking from many engineering processes is the formal capacity to develop prototypes in the early stages of a project. This task is useful for the purposes of generating customer feedback or for identifying examining or mitigating risks that may be associated with a product, especially where the product concept is novel or not fully understood. This paper examines the engineering process employed on a project with which the authors were involved and provides sufficient formal scope for research and prototyping activities in the engineering and development process