Systems Engineering Glossary

Change Control Board (CCB).  Changes to configuration items are normally managed by a group called the Change Control Board (CCB).

Change Management.  Change management is the process by which changes to configuration items can occur throughout a project in a formal manner.

Change Report.  Once an endorsed change has been made to a configuration item a change report closes the change management loop and reports to the Change Control Board (CCB) on the outcome of the change.

Change Request.  Changes to configuration items can be proposed in a change request by any involved parties including customer, contractor or subcontractors.

Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS).  Commercial off the shelf products are non-developmental items that already exist and can be readily procured.

Computer Software Component (CSC).  Computer Software Configuration Items (CSCIs) are broken down further into smaller units called Computer Software Components (CSCs) and then into Computer Software Units (CSUs).

Computer Software Configuration Item (CSCI).  A software-based configuration item is called a computer software configuration item (CSCI).

Computer Software Unit (CSU).  Computer Software Configuration Items (CSCIs) are broken down further into smaller units called Computer Software Components (CSCs) and then into Computer Software Units (CSUs).

Conceptual Design.  Conceptual Design is the first of the Acquisition Phase activities and is aimed at producing a clearly defined set of user requirements in functional terms at the system level.

Configuration.  The configuration of a system, subsystem, module or component is the manner in which the constituent elements are disposed relative to each other.

Configuration Identification (CI).  Configuration identification involves identifying which items are to be placed under configuration management and are to be considered configuration items from then on.

Configuration Item (CI).  A configuration item (CI) can be defined as an aggregation of hardware and software that satisfies an end-use function, whose requirements are specified and designated for separate configuration management (based on EIA/IS-632 definition).

Configuration Management.  Configuration management refers to the act of controlling and managing the physical and functional make-up of the configuration items that comprise the system.

Configuration Management Plan (CMP).  The Configuration Management Plan defines the approved configuration management process to be applied to the project.

Configuration Management Tool.  A configuration management tool is necessary to assist in configuration management so that the system configuration can be tracked and a history of changes can be recorded.

Constraint.  In requirements engineering, a constraint refers to some limitation in the conditions under which the system should operate, and/or on the way in which the system is to be developed or on the systems engineering process.

Construction and/or Production.  Construction and/or Production is the final activity in the Acquisition Phase and involves construction and/or production of subsystems and then their assembly to produce the system.

Contract.  The contract is the formal agreement between the acquirer and the developer of the system. A contract contains all of the relevant terms and conditions as well as a statement of work.

Contract Change Proposal (CCP).  If proposed changes to a configuration item are sufficient to warrant a change to contractual arrangements a Contract Change Proposal (CCP) is raised to allow the work associated with the changes to be funded.

Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL).  The Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) contains a list of all data requirements for a contract.

Contractor.  The contractor is normally responsible for the Preliminary Design, Detailed Design and Development, Construction and/or Production activities finishing with acceptance by the acquirer at a Formal Qualification Review.

Critical Design Review (CDR).  The Critical Design Review is conducted towards the end of Detailed Design & Development and will normally mark the end of the activity and the beginning of Construction and/or Production.

Customer.  The customer organisation is the organisation that contains at the very least the end users, operators, trainers, supporters and maintainers of the system under development.

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