Tag Archive for: Requirements & Requirements Management
Jama Software is always looking for news that would benefit and inform our industry partners. As such, we’ve curated a series of customer and industry spotlight articles that we found insightful. In this blog post, we share excerpts from an article, sourced from MedTech Dive, titled “UK regulators name 3 approved bodies to ease device certification bottleneck” – originally written by Nick Paul Taylor and published on August 31, 2023.
UK regulators name 3 approved bodies to ease device certification bottleneck
A MHRA leader hailed the action as “almost doubling capacity for medical device assessment in the U.K.”
SHansche via Getty Images
Dive Brief:
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has designated three more bodies to certify medical devices in the U.K.
As a result of Brexit, the U.K. is requiring manufacturers of all except the lowest-risk devices to apply for UK Conformity Assessment (UKCA) certification from an approved body. The approved bodies perform the same role as the notified bodies that issue CE marks to devices sold in the European Union.
MHRA’s designation of three approved bodies helps address a capacity shortage that led the government to stagger the transition from CE marks to UKCA certification.
MHRA automatically moved the U.K.’s three existing notified bodies, BSI, SGS and UL, to the approved body scheme when the country split from the European Union. Since then, efforts to add capacity have proceeded slowly. The U.K. affiliate of DEKRA, a notified body in the EU, became the first new approved body for medical devices 11 months ago.
Now, MHRA has designated TÜV SÜD, Intertek, and TÜV Rheinland UK. The designation clears the three bodies to certify general medical devices and empowers TÜV Rheinland UK to assess in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products. IVD capacity is lagging behind, with MHRA having designated four bodies in total.
In a statement, Laura Squire, chief healthcare quality and access officer at MHRA, hailed the addition of the three approved bodies as “almost doubling capacity for medical device assessment in the U.K.” It is unclear how many applications each approved body is capable of handling.
Even so, the designations go at least some way toward addressing a long-standing concern. The Regulatory Horizons Council identified the “lack of capacity in approved bodies within the U.K.” as a risk to patient safety and access to devices in a report two years ago.
Responding to the report early this year, the government accepted recommendations about addressing bottlenecks in device approval, notably the shortage of approved bodies, and taking mitigating steps to ensure the supply of products after the transition to UKCA. The concerns informed the decision to keep accepting devices with CE marks through 2028 or 2030, depending on the regulation.
https://www.jamasoftware.com/media/2023/09/UK-regulators-name-3-approved-bodies-to-ease-device-certification-bottleneck-1.jpg5121024Jama Software/media/jama-logo-primary.svgJama Software2023-09-28 03:00:392023-09-08 10:16:19UK Regulators Name 3 Approved Bodies to Ease Device Certification Bottleneck
To read the complete press release, go to https://www.jamasoftware.com/press/a-new-partnership-for-digital-design-product-development-excellence/
Engineering Industries eXcellence Partners with Jama Software® to Drive Innovation in Digital Design and Product Development Across Industries
PORTLAND, Ore. and CHICAGO, September 21, 2023 – Jama Software®, the industry-leading requirements management and traceability solution provider, and Engineering Group’s Industries eXcellence division, a global leader in the field of engineering services, design automation solutions, and Industry 4.0 technologies, jointly announce a strategic consulting partnership to transform the way industrial organizations design, develop, and deliver innovative products to the market.
Jama Software’s requirements management platform, Jama Connect®, provides a collaborative environment for teams to define, design and develop their product visions. By maintaining Live Traceability™ across a best-of-breed ecosystem, Jama Connect enables organizations to navigate the intricacies of modern product development, leading to faster time-to-market and improved product quality. Engineering Industries eXcellence, with its rich experience in engineering services and global network of digital transformation experts, brings a wealth of knowledge in product design, systems engineering, and technology consulting.
“We are excited to partner with the Engineering Group to deliver a holistic approach to intelligent engineering management that leverages Jama Software’s best-in-class technology with Industries eXcellence’s industrial sector expertise,” said Tom Tseki, CRO of Jama Software. “This collaboration represents our commitment to helping organizations bring innovative products to market faster, with higher quality and greater efficiency.”
Through this partnership, clients will benefit from the synergy between Jama Software’s innovative requirements management and traceability platform and Engineering Industries eXcellence’s deep industry insights, resulting in comprehensive solutions tailored to meet the unique challenges of their respective markets.
Jama Software® is focused on maximizing innovation success in multidisciplinary engineering organizations. Numerous firsts for humanity in fields such as fuel cells, electrification, space, software-defined vehicles, surgical robotics, and more all rely on Jama Connect® requirements management software to minimize the risk of defects, rework, cost overruns, and recalls. Using Jama Connect, engineering organizations can now intelligently manage the development process by leveraging Live Traceability™ across best-of-breed tools to measurably improve outcomes. Our rapidly growing customer base spans the automotive, medical device, life sciences, semiconductor, aerospace & defense, industrial manufacturing, consumer electronics, financial services, and insurance industries. For more information about Jama Connect services, please visit www.jamasoftware.com.
ABOUT THE ENGINEERING GROUP
The Engineering Group is a leading engineering services and solutions provider, offering a wide range of expertise in product design, system engineering, technology consulting, and more. With a track record of excellence, the Engineering Group partners with clients to drive innovation and achieve exceptional results. Learn more at Engineering Industries eXcellence (indx.com).
https://www.jamasoftware.com/media/2023/09/2023-09-21-engineering-usa-release-min.jpg5121024Karrie Sundbom/media/jama-logo-primary.svgKarrie Sundbom2023-09-21 06:30:332023-09-25 13:18:32A New Partnership for Digital Design & Product Development eXcellence
Unlocking the Potential: The Importance of Software Defined Vehicles Explained
Introduction
The automotive industry is undergoing a massive transformation, driven by technology. One of the most exciting developments is the concept of Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs). In this blog post, we will explore the importance of SDVs and how they are revolutionizing the automotive landscape.
What is a Software Defined Vehicle?
Software Defined Vehicles are automobiles that rely on software and data to control major functions, such as propulsion, safety systems, and entertainment features.
Unlike traditional vehicles, which heavily rely on hardware, SDVs leverage advanced software algorithms and connectivity to enhance performance, functionality, and user experience.
SDVs offer tremendous flexibility and customization options. Software updates can be deployed remotely, allowing manufacturers to introduce new features or improve existing ones without physical modifications. This not only enhances the vehicle’s performance but also enables personalization according to user preferences.
2. Enhanced Safety and Autonomous Capabilities
SDVs play a crucial role in advancing vehicle safety and autonomy. With software-controlled systems, real-time data can be processed and analyzed more efficiently, enabling the vehicle to make instant decisions and react to various scenarios. From adaptive cruise control to automated emergency braking, SDVs are paving the way for a safer and more autonomous driving experience.
3. Improved User Experience
Software Defined Vehicles provide a seamless and intuitive user experience. Smart infotainment systems, integrated navigation, and connectivity features ensure drivers stay connected and informed on the road. Additionally, software updates can optimize vehicle performance and functionality, ensuring a consistently delightful driving experience throughout the ownership period.
4. Enhanced Sustainability
SDVs contribute to sustainability efforts in multiple ways. By optimizing energy consumption, software algorithms can improve fuel efficiency or increase the range of electric vehicles. Moreover, SDVs enable over-the-air updates, reducing the need for physical recalls and reducing waste associated with hardware replacements.
Challenges and Considerations
1. Cybersecurity
With increasing connectivity and reliance on software, cybersecurity becomes a critical concern. As Software Defined Vehicles become more commonplace, manufacturers and developers need to prioritize security measures to protect vehicles from hacking and unauthorized access.
2. Data Privacy
The extensive use of software in SDVs generates vast amounts of data. It’s crucial to develop robust privacy frameworks to ensure the responsible collection, storage, and use of data, protecting user privacy rights.
3. Regulatory Framework
The emergence of Software Defined Vehicles raises questions about legal and regulatory frameworks. Governments and authorities need to adapt and establish comprehensive regulations to ensure safe and responsible integration of SDVs into existing transportation systems.
Software Defined Vehicles represent a paradigm shift in the automotive industry. By harnessing the power of software and connectivity, SDVs offer unparalleled flexibility, improved safety, enhanced user experience, and sustainability benefits.
However, to fully unlock the potential of SDVs, we must address challenges related to cybersecurity, data privacy, and regulatory frameworks. Embracing this transformative technology will lead us into a future of smarter, safer, and more efficient transportation.
Note: This article was drafted with the aid of AI. Additional content, edits for accuracy, and industry expertise by Matt Mickle, McKenzie Jonsson, and Decoteau Wilkerson.
Stay tuned to our blog for future software defined vehicles content, including more in-depth explanations of how to adapt to these key challenges.
Stay tuned to our blog for future software defined vehicles content, including more in-depth explanations of how to adapt to these key challenges.
https://www.jamasoftware.com/media/2023/09/d38ce0b9-9295-44fc-bed2-a0f1e0d951ae-1.jpeg5121024Jama Software/media/jama-logo-primary.svgJama Software2023-09-12 03:00:572023-09-05 14:57:51Unlocking the Potential: The Importance of Software Defined Vehicles Explained
Best Practices for Verification and Validation in Product Development
In the competitive landscape of modern product development, ensuring the reliability and quality of the product is essential to meet customer – and stakeholder – expectations and regulatory requirements. Verification and validation (V&V) are two crucial processes that play a pivotal role in achieving these goals. V&V are systematic methods that assess a product’s adherence to specifications and its ability to perform as intended. In this article, we will delve into the best practices for verification and validation in product development, exploring the key steps, methodologies, and benefits of each process.
Understanding Verification & Validation
Before delving into the best practices, it is essential to clarify the distinction between verification and validation. Verification focuses on assessing whether a product meets its design specifications, ensuring that each component and feature works as intended. On the other hand, validation is concerned with evaluating whether the product fulfills its intended use and customer needs. In essence, verification confirms if the product is designed correctly, while validation confirms if it is the right product for the intended application.
Incorporating V&V Early in the Development Lifecycle
To maximize the effectiveness of verification and validation, these processes must be integrated into the product development lifecycle from its early stages. By starting V&V activities early, potential issues can be identified and resolved before they escalate, reducing costs and time-to-market. Early involvement also allows for feedback to be incorporated into the design, leading to a more robust and reliable final product.
Clearly Defined Requirements
Well-defined requirements are the foundation of successful verification and validation. During the requirements gathering phase, it is vital to engage stakeholders and subject matter experts to create clear, measurable, and unambiguous specifications. These requirements serve as the baseline against which the product will be verified and validated. Proper documentation and version control are critical to ensure that changes to requirements are tracked effectively. Additionally, the later in the development process that requirements get changed, many times because they weren’t written well the first time, the more costly it is due to downstream impacts such as rework in verification and validation.
Product development teams should employ a mix of V&V techniques to comprehensively assess the product’s quality. Some commonly used methods include:
Testing: Conduct thorough testing, including unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and user acceptance testing, to verify that each component and the product as a whole performs as expected.
Simulation: Use computer simulations to evaluate the product’s behavior in various scenarios, particularly for complex systems or when physical testing is impractical or cost prohibitive.
Prototyping: Building prototypes early in the development process allows for real-world testing, uncovering potential design flaws and usability issues.
Peer Reviews: Encourage regular peer reviews of design documents, code, and other artifacts to catch errors and improve the overall quality of the product.
Model-based Design: Utilize model-based design approaches, such as Model-Driven Architecture (MDA), to create detailed models that can be verified before implementation.
Risk-Based Approach
Incorporate a risk-based approach into V&V activities to focus resources on critical areas. Identify potential risks associated with product failure and prioritize verification and validation efforts accordingly. This approach ensures that resources are allocated efficiently, concentrating on areas with the most significant impact on product performance and safety.
Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)
Consider engaging external experts or teams for independent verification and validation. External parties can provide an unbiased assessment of the product, uncovering issues that internal teams might overlook due to familiarity or assumptions. Independent verification and validation bring additional expertise and ensure a higher level of confidence in the product’s quality.
Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
Implementing CI/CD practices allows for continuous verification and validation throughout the development process. Automated testing and deployment pipelines can quickly detect regressions and integration issues, ensuring that the product remains stable and reliable throughout its evolution.
Documenting V&V Activities
Comprehensive documentation of all verification and validation activities is essential for compliance, knowledge retention, and continuous improvement. Properly documented V&V processes help maintain a historical record of changes, failures, and resolutions, facilitating future product iterations and troubleshooting.
V & V are integral to successful product development, ensuring that products meet the required specifications and perform as intended. By adopting best practices such as early integration, clear requirements, a mix of v&v techniques, risk-based approaches, and continuous verification, companies can create high-quality, reliable products that customers love and gain a competitive edge in the market. Moreover, investing in verification and validation from the outset of development can save time and resources, prevent costly delays, and lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty in the long run.
https://www.jamasoftware.com/media/2023/08/2023-09-07-verification-and-validation-1.jpg512986Jama Software/media/jama-logo-primary.svgJama Software2023-09-07 03:00:172023-09-06 14:46:49Best Practices for Verification and Validation in Product Development
In this video, we demonstrate Review Center capabilities in Jama Connect®
Jama Connect® Features in Five: Review Center
Learn how you can supercharge your systems development process! In this blog series, we’re pulling back the curtains to give you a look at a few of the powerful features in Jama Connect… in about five minutes.
In this Features in Five video, Jama Software® subject matter expert Mario Maldari,Director of Solution Architecture, will demonstrate Review Center capabilities in Jama Connect.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
Mario Maldari: Hi. My name is Mario Maldari, and I’m the Director of Solution Architecture here at Jama Software. In this video, we will demonstrate a powerful and easy-to-use feature in Jama Connect, the Review Center.
Reviews play a key role in successful product development. In this video, you will learn how to initiate a review, how to invite participants to a review, how users can complete tasks, provide feedback, and finish a review. You also see how moderators can view review activity, interact with feedback, publish revisions, compare review versions, and more. Now let’s get to the demo.
Anything in Jama Connect can be sent to the review center, individual requirements, or a set of requirements, simply right-click and send for review. This will put you into our, Review Center dialogue where you’ll have a few options to choose from, give the requirement to review a name, a deadline, and a time. You can include related items. Perhaps you want the test cases that are associated with the requirements to be reviewed as well and select those. You have a few additional options.
You can choose to have an electronic signature. You can enable time tracking, and notify when a participant finishes a review. I like that one. In this dialogue, you can add your users and assign them various roles, review approver.
And we’ll have a couple of reviewers here.
Maldari: A very nice feature of our review and approval is the ability to invite users by email. This allows you to invite, participants in your review, that aren’t part of your project, your job or project, or aren’t even part of your company. Perhaps you have, vendors that have given you requirements that you want their feedback on, stakeholders. So you can add them.
They can participate in the review, and you don’t have to add them to the project. So let’s continue on here. This final dialogue is in the details of the email that’ll be sent out to the participants. Customize this as you see fit. And let’s initiate that. Alrighty.
Essentially, the email that your participants will see will look very, very similar to this. It’ll have some instructions. It’ll have the link to the review. Their role and what the deadline is. As soon as they click on this link from their email, it’ll send them into the review. Where they’ll be able to go through and accept or reject, each item as they go through the review. You’ll be able to see the related items here in this case, the test cases because we included that in the review. So very nice to be able to include that as well. So I’ll go through and I will accept.
And perhaps there’s a case where I disagree with something or I’d like to see a change. I can get very granular in terms of my commenting ability. I can select over text. And I can say and I could even @ mention users here as well as an FYI, and I could further qualify the comment. Perhaps, say, I have an issue with it, I can enter my comment. When I’m done with the review, I simply click complete review.
And it gives me a nice summary of what has changed in my review. And at this point, I could either be done, you know, assuming maybe I accepted all the requirements. I was happy with it. In this case, since I rejected one, I’d like to request a new revision after the update is made. So the moderator at this point would get a notification that someone has completed the review. They’d be able to come in and see all of the passing, requirements, but then they could also see the comments on the ones that I would like, to have updated so they could say, okay. It should be more specific. So they can simply go into the requirement. They could edit it.
Maldari: And I can get a little more detail in this case. They could resolve the comment right from here. And they can resolve that comment right on the fly. It could say, save and close, commit, ok. And now at this point, the moderator could publish a new revision, and they could let the reviewers know that there’s a new version of that particular requirement. So let’s publish that after the change that was made.
And now they can actually see that there are two versions. Of the review. You can compare version one to version two, and you can see what’s changed in the requirements between the two versions. So a really nice way of seeing how the requirements evolve over time by virtue of the reviews.
The moderator also has some really nice views here in terms of statistics of the ability to see where the team is in terms of, you know, how far along they are in their review, how many they’ve approved, rejected, the time spent, on the reviews, They can email the participants, send reminders, email the approvers only. A lot of different information and statistics here. They can look at the types of comments that were put as part of the review so they can get a sense of how many changes they may need to make. Maybe there are just some questions and general comments, but if there are proposed changes or issues, you know, that’s that translates to work, the moderator may have to do.
So it’s really good information in terms of statistics here. All of the reviews that are in progress, completed, are stored in the review tab, all the Jama Connect, And so that at any given time, you can go back. You could take a look at your reviews, you know, see how the requirements evolved over time. Maybe a year later, you need to produce an audit report.
Maldari: Jama Connect allows you to create reports off on these reviews with all the comments and the states of the requirements. So very useful, for seeing how your requirements have evolved over time. A very powerful feature of the Review Center, but also as you can see, very easy to use and and very collaborative.
If you would like to learn more about how Jama Connect can optimize your product development processes, please visit our website at www.jamasoftware.com. If you’re already a Jama Connect customer and would like more information on the Review Center, please contact your customer success manager or Jama Software consultant.
https://www.jamasoftware.com/media/2023/08/FIF-Review-Center-1.jpg10801920Mario Maldari/media/jama-logo-primary.svgMario Maldari2023-09-01 03:00:022023-09-01 09:02:59Jama Connect® Features in Five: Review Center
In this blog, we recap our webinar, “Manage by Exception: Data-driven Practices to Improve Product Quality”. Click HERE to watch the entire webinar.
Curious how data-driven practices unlock successful product delivery?
Our recent webinar explores the transformative approach of managing by exception in reducing product failure risk. In this session, we walk through why managing by data is crucial, how data “exceptions” uncover gaps, and real-life examples in product development.
During this informative session, Preston Mitchell, VP, Global Solutions at Jama Software®, offers insights on how Jama Connect® helps teams proactively prevent gaps in requirement quality and traceability to streamline their product delivery process.
Check out this webinar to learn:
Why data-based management is important
The definition of a data “exception” and how it uncovers gaps
Examples of “exceptions” in daily product development and requirements management
How Jama Connect’s unique features, such as Advanced Filters and Dashboards, can help your team manage by exception
How to proactively prevent exceptions using Jama Connect Advisor™ and Live Traceability
Discover how Jama Connect can help your team manage by exception and navigate product development with precision.
Below is an abbreviated transcript of our webinar.
Manage by Exception: Data-driven Practices to Improve Product Quality
Preston Mitchell: Hello everyone and thank you for joining today. My name is Preston.. I’m the VP of our solutions department at Jama Software and I lead our rockstar team that delivers solutions and services for all of Jama Software’s customers. I’ve been with Jama Software for over 10 years and held several positions within the company and over the course of my time here, through hundreds of client engagements to onboard and deploy Jama Connect, I have learned a lot from our customers and our customers really are our inspiration. They’re building next-generation products like self-driving cars, life-saving medical devices, futuristic robots, and the thread that ties all of these customers together is the central theme of how we can make better decisions to improve the success rate of our R&D function or our product development function. So I’m really excited to talk to you all today about the theme of managing through data to do just that. How can we bring measurable improvement to your process?
So for the agenda today, we’re going to talk about the power of data, how Jama Software empowers our customers to use data and exception management, and some key measurements that we prioritize such as requirements quality and the traceability score. And then finally we’ll close out with how you can plan for success in this and just some Q&A from the audience. So we’ll have my colleagues helping out with the chat. Juliet’s going to share some of the questions, so don’t hesitate to use the chat to ask questions.
Mitchell: All right, so it should be obvious to most, but managing through data brings several benefits to your organization. Software is a part of our day-to-day work and it’s enabled an exponential increase in collaboration and visibility. And increasing visibility to that critical data and the workflows allows teams to have a more shared understanding of the goals, the problems, and the action items that all go into making successful products. And rolling up this data allows the R&D and product development leaders to have more real-time metrics and make better business decisions. So when you start to manage through data, this increased visibility really encourages process improvement and also really professional growth. But at the same time, there’s a challenge that comes along with this. This increase in the amount of data that is available often is overwhelming given that the time that you have in a day is really a fixed resource.
We want to make this a little bit interactive. I’d be curious to hear from the audience, how do you use or maybe how do you not use data today in your decision-making with regards to developing new products? So Juliet, why don’t we pull up our first poll? What’s the primary method that your organization uses for major decisions in the development of the products and systems that you build? So we’ll give folks about 20 seconds to answer this.
Okay, and I see some interesting results coming in here so far. Well, I know it’s hard to pick just one primary as the reality is there are likely multiple of these here for really large decisions. I was wondering how many folks would pick the first and the last option. Intuition or just plain not sure. So let’s move forward here.
I have linked a very interesting Harvard Business Review article called Don’t Trust Your Gut. But if I were to summarize it, intuition is often glorified quite a bit in the business world and especially when people are wildly successful. So for example, if you make a big business or a personal bet that pays off, these are often celebrated. But in business, we hear a lot about failures too, and they’re often blamed on things like poor timing, and poor market fit, maybe a lot of it is poor execution, but one adjacent failure symptom is the lack of an alarm to trigger a change. So we often hear the old adage, that it’s better to fail fast than early so you have a chance to course correct.
Mitchell: With the right data and the right alarm triggers, this is possible and for the customers that Jama Software works with, you have smart engineers, product managers, and business analysts, oftentimes biased and emotional. They can play a real role in making bad decisions that eventually lead to some sort of R&D or product development failure. And when your engineering leaders or even yourself don’t have the data on execution progress when your teams are not actually tracing requirements to the why or the need for customer validation. And when we don’t have insight into things like verification coverage, and all that missing data, you’re going to find that we encounter these problems way too late in the development cycle.
And we see this very often in the news, these failures that happen too late. Investigations happen, and recommendations are made, but how can we make data available to the right people so that we can prevent these issues from ever occurring in the first place? That’s what we’re going to talk more about today. And as the famed management guru, Peter Drucker said, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” So being able to use data to measure allows your teams to see recurring patterns or anomalies and then individuals can then take care of these before they become a larger problem. Or better yet, how can we create preventative measures and automation to improve the process overall?
So that leads us to the key principle that we’re going to talk about today. Management by exception. So management by exception is a methodology that’s really meant to empower your team with the data around early warning indicators so that you can make smarter and faster decisions. It also allows leadership to focus their time on the exceptions and not micromanaging or intervening with the teams if the majority of the engineering data shows that the product development is going as expected, and I really want to reemphasize that because it’s not meant to micromanage. In fact, it should lessen that. A common hurdle that teams face when you introduce a change where you’re transforming the organization by managing through data is resistance.
https://www.jamasoftware.com/media/2023/08/2023-Webinar-Recap-Med-Update-4.png5121024Preston Mitchell/media/jama-logo-primary.svgPreston Mitchell2023-08-24 03:00:272023-08-22 16:27:13[Webinar Recap] Manage by Exception: Data-driven Practices to Improve Product Quality
In this blog, we recap our webinar, “Accelerate Your ECSS Standards Compliance with Jama Connect®“. Click HERE to watch the entire thing.
Streamline your systems engineering efforts and ensure your products meet all the necessary industry standards.
Jama Connect® enables digital transformation with a more efficient and user-friendly approach to managing space systems development. It can optimize your systems engineering efforts and ensure your products meet all the necessary industry standards.
Learn how to incorporate regulations governing European space systems development into your Jama Connect solution. In this webinar, we discuss how customers can leverage a library of the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) standards right inside their Jama Connect instance.
Cary Bryczek, Director of Aerospace & Defense (A&D) Solutions at Jama Software® along with fellow A&D experts Alisa Eikanas and Martijn Janssen, provide a high-level overview of the ECSS standards, along with best practices for leveraging them within Jama Connect, including:
ECSS Process workflows and how they align with processes managed within Jama Connect
Establishing an ECSS Library in Jama Connect to provide a Single Source of Truth
Explanation on how to tailor the ECSS requirements and leverage Jama Connect’s Reuse capability
Below is an abbreviated transcript of our webinar.
Accelerate Your ECSS Standards Compliance with Jama Connect®
Cary Bryczek: So welcome to today’s webinar. I am Cary Bryczek, the Director of Aerospace and Defense Solutions. I lead up a global team of industry and Jama Connect experts. For today’s webinar, two esteemed members of the team will be speaking. First to speak is Martijn Janssen. Martijn is a senior consultant at Jama Software. He has been working with PLM and requirements management solutions for over 15 years and is very proficient in not only Jama Connect but the Siemens industry software solutions as well as PTC Windchill. He currently works on implementing space-related systems such as satellites, launchers, and space-related components in the European Union for our Jama Connect partners. Martijn is a specialist in both systems engineering and information technologies.
We are also joined by Alisa Eikanas. Alisa is a senior consultant at Jama Software. She has over 15 years of experience supporting multi-discipline engineering teams and brings more than 10 years of experience as a business analyst to Jama’s customers. She works with our largest US government and commercial space customers in the US and she’s an expert at helping customers migrate data from legacy requirements tools such as Doors to Jama Connect. And with that, I’ll pass it over to you Martijn.
Martijn Janssen: Well, thank you for the introduction there, Cary. So welcome everybody to our webinar on ECSS. I’m very excited today to introduce you to the way we manage ECSS standards within Jama Connect. Over the past couple of years, we’ve been working with a lot of customers on managing ECSS standards within our solutions, and today we’re going to show you some examples of how we manage to do that.
So without further ado, I’m going to go over some of the ECSS standards, which include, the use cases our customers face, and then afterward Alisa will dive into the system and show you some of those use cases in action in Jama Connect. Let’s dive into the presentation.
When we talk about ECSS, and I presume many of you here already are aware, but for those of you that are not aware of ECSS, ECSS is a European Cooperation and it’s a collaboration between the ESA, the European Space Agency, and many different other space agencies across the world to make sure that we have a single set of standards that we can use across companies working in the European space activities. Many of our customers around the world are looking to those standards, making sure they’re compliant with them, and working with those standards in different projects and at different levels.
So ECSS is a standard. You can find a lot of information on the website for ESA about the standards. They’re all there to be found if you’re not aware of them already. The way that ECSS is organized and set up is something you will see in the standards on the website itself, but we also have the organization within our Jama Connect application. So once Alisa’s going to show the demo, you will recognize a lot of those structures in Jama Connect.
Janssen: So when we talk about the standards, the standards are divided into branches and disciplines. So you will find, for example, the different branches on the top level there. So for example, the space project management branch or the engineering branch. Below those branches, you will find a lot of disciplines detailed per section. They are numbered in a specific way. Again, when we look into the demo, you will see a lot of those specific annotations come back and we maintained that same structure within Jama. So many of our customers use a subset or a number of these standards in their Jama Connect application to make sure they are compliant and they are working towards the standards that ESA has set for these specific projects. So the main structure in here is recognizable towards what is on the websites and in the organization of ECSS.
Outside of the actual organization of the disciplines and the branches, the disciplines themselves are even further, let’s say detailed in documents. All these documents fall into one of those disciplines. So for example, when we look at the discipline of system engineering, you can see a large number of documents below that, talk about different topics. So for example, on testing, on verification, on referencing coordinate systems, all kinds of documents describing the standard, what you need to do to be compliant towards those standards.
Now these documents are pulled into Jama Connect. And as you will see later on, we have all these documents available for you to start tracking and tracing compliance. So the structure from a branch to a discipline to all the documents is something that you will recognize in the demo later on by Alisa and where you can find and filter and search for certain topics that are numbered and maintained by the ESA.
https://www.jamasoftware.com/media/2023/08/2023-Webinar-Recap-Med-Update-2-1.png5121024Cary Bryczek/media/jama-logo-primary.svgCary Bryczek2023-08-17 03:00:072023-08-16 13:04:45[Webinar Recap] Accelerate Your ECSS Standards Compliance with Jama Connect®
MIL-STD-810: Ensuring Quality and Reliability in Challenging Defense Environments
From the desert to swamps to the frozen tundra, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) created the Military Standard 810 (MIL-STD-810) to enforce manufacturers deliver a product that will not fail in operational environments. This compliance regulation outlines environmental engineering considerations for testing equipment’s durability, performance, and quality in challenging and harsh environments. The blog will explain the significance of MIL-STD-810, its purpose, and how it impacts industries and consumers worldwide
Understanding MIL-STD-810
MIL-STD-810, widely used by commercial, non-military entities as well, prescribes a series of tests and procedures that have been created to measure the durability of equipment and its ability to survive in tough conditions.
Initially published in 1962, the standard has been regularly updated to keep up with technological developments and the varying environmental conditions. MIL-STD-810 thus serves as a useful tool for manufacturers, guaranteeing that their products can withstand the toughest circumstances.
The Purpose of MIL-STD-810
Defense contractors and manufacturers are required to meet the requirements outlined in this standard to sell their equipment to the U.S. military. MIL-STD-810 is used to ensure operability of equipment in conditions it may come across during its service life. The standard provides a broad selection of environmental factors and tests to go with them, allowing companies to find any weak points and make the necessary changes. By following this standard, it will help to improve the reliability and robustness of their product, resulting in successful harsh environment operation and a longer life in the field.
Key Environmental Factors Tested under MIL-STD-810
Temperature: Equipment is exposed to a broad range of temperatures, from frigid cold to blazing hot, to make sure its performance and security are up to the task in different climates.
Humidity: Checking the humidity level helps to guard the device from harm and ensure it functions properly in areas with high levels of moisture.
Shock: Devices are tested by subjecting them to mechanical shocks, such as drops and vibrations, to replicate real-world conditions and to evaluate their structural soundness and operation.
Vibration: The MIL-STD-810 outlines a variety of different vibration tests to simulate any transportation or operational movements that may affect the performance or parts of a device.
Sand and Dust: The capability of the equipment to resist being exposed to tiny particles such as sand and dust that are commonly seen in desert and arid areas is appraised.
Altitude: Checking the equipment’s operation at various altitudes determines its capacity in different air pressures, guaranteeing its dependability in high-altitude zones.
Solar Radiation: Evaluating the equipment’s response to solar radiation helps manufacturers understand its performance in outdoor environments with direct sunlight exposure.
Rain: Devices are tested to withstand exposure to rain and water, preventing water intrusion and potential short circuits.
Impact on Industries
Military and Defense: MIL-STD-810 is mandatory for military and defense contractors. Ensuring equipment works well in harsh conditions is vital for military operations. Compliance reduces the risk of equipment failure in critical situations.
Aerospace and Aviation: The aerospace industry uses MIL-STD-810 to make equipment for aircraft and space missions. The standard makes sure that equipment can handle extremes in flight and space conditions.
Consumer Electronics: MIL-STD-810, originally intended for military use, has been embraced by consumer electronics producers. This has resulted in the production of rugged smartphones, tablets, and laptops for those with a fast-paced lifestyle or who do their work in demanding settings.
Industrial Equipment: Industrial equipment and machinery often must endure difficult conditions, such as those found at construction sites and mining operations. By following MIL-STD-810 guidelines, manufacturers are able to produce sturdy and resilient machinery that can endure these types of settings, reducing the need for maintenance and repairs.
The MIL-STD-810 is of major importance in the assurance of the quality and dependability of equipment across myriads of industries. By undergoing multiple environmental examinations, companies can notice and tackle possible problems before their equipment is delivered to customers and stakeholders. This guideline has not only ensured reliability of military devices but has also played a role in the construction and production of commercial electronics and industrial machines.
In a world where technology is more and more ubiquitous, MIL-STD-810 remains a fundamental point of reference in managing the difficulties of hostile and unpredictable environmental conditions. Its impact will remain, prompting manufacturers to construct reliable and rugged devices that meet the requirements of the DoD and commercial customers across the world.
How Can Jama Connect® Help?
Jama Connect®‘s digital engineering strategy is essential for any organization seeking to increase efficiency and reliability. It serves as an essential bridge between teams, optimizing design and engineering processes. With its comprehensive system view and dependable source of information, it is an invaluable asset for achieving success.
Note: This article was drafted with the aid of AI. Additional content, edits for accuracy, and industry expertise by Decoteau Wilkerson and Cary Bryczek.
https://www.jamasoftware.com/media/2023/08/2023-08-08-mil-std-810.png5121024Cary Bryczek/media/jama-logo-primary.svgCary Bryczek2023-08-10 03:00:332023-08-09 09:43:52MIL-STD-810: Ensuring Quality and Reliability in Challenging Defense Environments
In this video, we demonstrate the Baselines feature in Jama Connect®.
Jama Connect Features in Five: Baselines
Learn how you can supercharge your systems development process! In this blog series, we’re pulling back the curtains to give you a look at a few of the powerful features in Jama Connect… in under five minutes.
In this Features in Five video, Jama Software® subject matter expert Julie Goodner, Senior Product Manager, demonstrates Baseline capabilities in Jama Connect.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
Julie Goodner: Hi. My name is Julie Goodner. I’m a Senior Product Manager here at Jama Software. In this video, I will walk you through Baselines in Jama Connect. I’ll cover what a Baseline source is, what Baselines are, when to create one, and some of our new Baseline features.
A Baseline source in Jama Connect is a collection of all versions of the requirements or other items that have been selected for a Baseline. A Baseline in Jama Connect is a snapshot in time and you can create a baseline to capture any milestone. In addition, a Baseline is also automatically captured when a review—or a revision to a review—is created.
A Baseline allows our users to capture the state of their content in alignment with key points in their product development cycle, such as during peer reviews, at key approval gates, or when generating documents from Jama Connect. In addition, utilizing Baselines allows our users to compare items as they change over time.
Goodner: With Baseline sources, you can see if the Baseline or Review contains signatures, see Baseline statuses, quickly navigate to a Review, or do a comparison summary between two Baselines and export the redlined report.
With Baselines, you can add electronic signatures, compare two Baselines with redline edits from within Jama Connect, compare items in your Baseline items to their current state in the project, add a status, and navigate to the Baseline version in the project view.
Goodner: From the Baseline source, you can see high-level information about its corresponding baselines that used to be hidden within a baseline details section. When selecting two Baselines, you can choose to do a comparison. This comparison summary model informs you have any updates that have been changed. You can also export that report and view the red line edit.
From a Baseline in the List View, you can see what relationships, categories, or other metadata were used to associate with the items at the time of the Baseline. When selecting the link in a Baseline, it will take you to the historical view from within the project.
From the Baseline Document View, you can choose to compare and see the differences in redline edit within Jama Connect, no longer needing to download reports.
If you would like to learn more about Jama Connect, how Jama Connect can optimize your product development process. Please visit our website at jamasoftware.com. If you’re already a Jama Connect customer and would like more information about Baselines, please contact your customer success manager or a Jama Software consultant.
https://www.jamasoftware.com/media/2023/07/FIF-Baselines-2.jpg10801920Julie Goodner/media/jama-logo-primary.svgJulie Goodner2023-08-04 03:00:282023-07-31 11:44:20Jama Connect® Features in Five: Baselines
In this blog, we discuss INCOSE’s System Engineering Handbook V5. To download this handbook, click HERE.
Empowering Engineers: Exploring INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook V5
What is INCOSE?
The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) was founded as a collaborative effort to bring systems engineers together and provide them with resources to progress in their field. Their mission is to cultivate a strong network of professionals, supply educational materials, and create tools that will help systems engineers be successful. INCOSE is dedicated to elevating the global profile of the systems engineering (SE) profession.
According to INCOSE, the Systems Engineering Handbook “shows what each systems engineering process activity entails in the context of designing for affordability and performance. On some projects, a given activity may be performed very informally (e.g., on the back of an envelope, or in an engineer’s notebook); or, on other projects, a more formal response is required with interim products under formal configuration control.”
The handbook provides assistance for individuals of various backgrounds and experience levels, such as those just beginning their systems engineering journey, engineers from different disciplines needing to apply the principles of systems engineering, and experienced engineers looking for a handy reference.
INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook V5
The newly released INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook V5 is a comprehensive guide to the discipline of SE which outlines the current best practices and serves as an informative reference for understanding SE in terms of content and application.
Some of the topics included in the latest handbook include:
Elaboration on the key systems life cycle processes described in ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023;
Chapters covering key systems engineering concepts, system lifecycle processes and methods, tailoring and application considerations, systems engineering in practice; and
Appendices, including an N2 diagram of the systems engineering processes and a detailed topical index.
Applying INCOSE Standards Using Jama Connect Advisor™
System engineers focus on making each of the individual systems work together into an integrated whole that performs as expected across the lifecycle of the product. In order to deliver successful products, they need the right user needs and requirements. Efficient, precise, and professionally written requirements form the foundation of the product development process so that various teams (design, software, and hardware systems) can all work together with a shared and clear understanding of the project goals.
Jama Connect Advisor™ is a state-of-the-art requirements authoring guide and optimizer powered by natural language processing for engineering that helps a system engineer or a product developer write effective, well-organized requirement specifications based on industry-accepted INCOSE rules and the EARS (Easy Approach to Requirements Syntax) notation.
