This updated document is intended to introduce transportation professionals to a needs-focused, requirements-driven engineering process that minimizes the risk of procuring technology that does not meet their needs. In the broader industry, needs-focused, requirements-driven processes are known as systems engineering, and this document provides an explanation of this process and how transportation professionals can tailor it to manage intelligent transportation system (ITS) projects. This document describes the systems engineering project life cycle and details how to manage a systems engineering process. It also describes how to begin implementing the systems engineering approach on your next ITS project and incorporate it more broadly into your organization’s business processes and practices. This is the fourth generation of the Systems Engineering for ITS content, published December 2022. It combines and updates content that was previously included in the FHWA Systems Engineering Guidebook (SEGB) and Systems Engineering Handbook (SEHB) publications.
This edition of Systems Engineering for ITS is consistent with the 4th Edition of the International Council on Systems Engineering’s (INCOSE) Systems Engineering Handbook – A Guide for System Life Cycle Processes and Activities. As the primary professional society in the Systems Engineering field, the INCOSE handbook is consistent with international standard ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2015 (Systems and software engineering-System life cycle processes).
Reading this document will provide an overview of how agencies can manage an ITS project using the systems engineering process. To support this objective, the document provides an introduction to the systems engineering process, but it is not intended to make you a systems engineering expert. Many excellent and comprehensive resources are available that describe every aspect of systems engineering in detail. These resources are identified throughout the document in case you want more information.
This document is a resource and a learning tool on the topic of systems engineering. It is not formal guidance from US DOT on how to meet the systems engineering requirements in 23 CFR part 940, Intelligent Transportation System Architecture and Standards which applies to both Regional ITS Architectures (940.9) and ITS project Systems Engineering Analysis (SEA) (940.11). The corresponding FTA National ITS Architecture Consistency Policy for Transit Projects applies to FTA ITS projects and has essentially the same wording as the FHWA 23 CFR 940. Compliance with the Regulation/Policy is established by each FHWA Division and FTA Regional Office. It is strongly recommended that you contact your federal representative for the specific requirements in your state.
