Technical reviews are vital part of the systems
engineering process that provide the ability to determine that the
design is meeting the necessary requirements. Technical reviews
measure progress and reduce technical risk by: providing a formal
evaluation of design maturity; measuring and reporting on planned and
actual performance; clarifying and prioritising design requirements; evaluating and establishing
the system baseline at discrete points in the design process;
providing an effective means of formal communication between stakeholders; and
recording design decisions and rationales for later reference.
Reviews
are often seen to be onerous (particularly by the contractor),
but reviews work for both customer and contractor.
Reviews range from very informal discussions to formal
meetings and will tend to become more detailed as the
design progresses. Normally reviews are specified in some
detail (number, content and timing) in contractual documentation.
Reviews
for defence projects are described in MIL-STD-499B, MIL-STD-1521B, MIL-STD-973.
Other topics in our resources on Systems Engineering related to Reviews include: