1. February 26, 2002 1 What is a CONOPS anyway? Avoiding Brooks law: All major mistakes are made on the first day of the project!

2. February 26, 2002 2 Topics Motivation Recipe for a CONOPS -The intended use of the system -The Actors -Scenarios -Operational Requirements Where the CONOPS fit into the System Engineering Process How to create the CONOPS CONOPS heuristics CONOPS qualification Discussion and Questions

3. February 26, 2002 3 Motivation Initiate Conceptual Integrity -I will contend that conceptual integrity is the most important consideration in system design.. Fred Brooks Discover the clients aspirations, needs, conditions, and ideas that will influence the design of the system Control customer expectations early Define operational performance measures Baseline for factors / impact analysis Invoke the clients reflective loop

4. February 26, 2002 4 Recipe for a CONOPS The CONOPS is a model of function and behavior Intended Use Scenario of Use Operational Requirements Actors

5. February 26, 2002 5 Intended use of the system Clients goals for the system Why would a person use the system? What are the Business processes that the system supports Innate (problem invariant) vs. artifacts of technology How will system earn a profit (why build it?)

6. February 26, 2002 6 The Actors Users Client People who support the system People who are affected by the system

7. February 26, 2002 7 Scenarios (system engineering, not OOA) Science fiction story Illustrates solution processes & system participation Sequential or concurrent In problem / usage domain terms Interaction of users & environment with the solution or system

8. February 26, 2002 8 Operational Requirements Scenario Behavioral Requirements Functional Requirements Functional Requirements Functional Requirements Constraint Requirements

9. February 26, 2002 9 Where the CONOPS fits in Operational Concept Graphic Operational Node Connectivity Diagram Operational Information Exchange Matrix C4ISR Operational View Essential & Supporting Products CONOPS

10. February 26, 2002 10 How to create the CONOPS Establish Goals Collect Facts Induce Concepts Determine Needs State the Problem

11. February 26, 2002 11 How to create the CONOPS continued Establish Goals State the Problem Collect Facts Induce Concepts Determine Needs Intended Use ActorsScenarios Operational Requirements Client Users Define Refine Define Representative General Process Elaborate Categories Specifics

12. February 26, 2002 12 CONOPS Heuristics Know the business and how it earns profit Users as an integral part of the CONOPS team Beware of user inputs Bring order to chaos (Conceptualize!!) -Unique and important performance requirements which will shape system design -Major business concepts which will affect system design -Attitude toward initial budget and its influence on structure of system -Implications of change / growth on long range performance of system -Genius is in finding and discarding irrelevant or trivial information Take your time and play with the problem Dont just think happy path Investigate alternative concepts with critical thinking Seek judgment & experience to organize instead of paralyze Maintain conceptual integrity Verify and validate the CONOPS

13. February 26, 2002 13 CONOPS Qualification Presentations (Reviews) Executable Models Pilots & Prototypes The customer is not always right, but must always think so

14. February 26, 2002 14 Discussions and questions Lets talk

15. February 26, 2002 15 Backup Slide: Architecture, bloody architecture Architecture – The structure or schematic misnomer -An architecture description is a representation, as of a current or future point in time, of a defined domain in terms of its component parts, what those parts do, how the parts relate to each other, and the rules and constraints under which the parts function. (C4ISR) Architecture – The original meaning -The user interface (conceptual and physical) (Peña)

16. February 26, 2002 16 Discussion Question A Why is experience essential to the successful derivation of a Conops?

17. February 26, 2002 17 Discussion Question B How can users mislead a Conops effort? How can management mislead a Conops effort?

18. February 26, 2002 18 Discussion Question C What is the difference between a functional operational requirement and a functional design requirement? What is the difference between a functional operational requirement and system functional requirement?