Deploying any system is a complex deal. There are a lot of processes and decisions which go on into making a system operationally successful. In formal terms, these processes are called ‘System Life Cycle Phases.’ Let’s have a quick look at what these phases are:
- Concept Phase
- Development or Design phase
- Utilization Phase
- Maintainance Phase
- Retirement Phase
These are not at all difficult to understand. The concept stage is where the idea of the system is born. It consists of all sorts of initial work, finding the problem, deciding which part of the problem to address, proposing candidate solutions and shortlisting, and solution implementation ideas. This is the phase where the foundation and overall plan of the system are laid. Estimates of cost, time to deploy and operate the system, and maintenance plans are all conceptualized in this phase. It takes a significant amount of time in the lifetime of any system.
Next is the development phase. In this phase, we develop the ideas, conceptualize their work, and prove the hypotheses mathematically or with prototyping. This is where the system transforms from a crude idea to a refined product or service ready to perform flawlessly. All major design decisions are taken in this phase. Rigorous testing and validation are performed to ensure the required performance and safety criteria.
The utilization phase is the deployment of the system on-site. It is the final stage for the system designer, for the system ownership is transferred to the user after this phase. Here is where the system realizes the goals and ends for what it was created. While operating, it is monitored well to ensure quick repairs and maintenance to reduce unoperational time and boost efficiency. MMaintenanceis usually carried out during the whole lifetime of the system, at regular intervals. Usually, systems are designed to have low maintenance costs and frequencies, ensuring high reliability and incorporating ffail-safesand redundancies.
Every system expects to possess a well-defined and feasible plan for retirement and disposal in lieu of regulations. This is formally called the ‘Retirement’ or the ‘disposal’ phase of the system, meaning that the system has fulfilled its period and spectrum of operation and has to be retired. Depending on the kind of system, different procedures are out in place; for instance, if it’s an electronic device, it is recycled, and components and materials are reused after filtration and processing. If it’s an automobile, licensed recyclers disintegrate the vehicle and separate functional components; the rest of the chassis is either scrapped or sent to a reprocessing station to melt and recast metals.
You should have understood that a good systems designer needs to see the system through and focus on all phases - from inception to retirement. Product disposal gives way to two important concepts - cradle to grave and cradle to cradle, which are widely addressed in product design. We will look at them sometime later. I hope you got a fair idea of the planning and significance of different system design phases. Stay tuned, people!
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