C. System integration
‘One of the most often used words, yet most neglected
notions, in the application of the system engineering process
in industry is the word integration. […] It has so many
meanings and shades of gray that the listener or reader is never
quite sure exactly how another person is using the word.
Whatever integration is, however, it is a universally accepted
necessity in the development of complex systems.’ [8].
Despite the fuzziness of this term, most authors describe
system integration as an activity concerned with joining
different subsystems or components as one large system. It
ensures that each integrated subsystem functions as required.
System integration is also used to add value to a system
through new functionalities provided by connecting functions
of different systems [14].
Therefore system integration is a vital part of system
engineering since any significant project is composed of many
different parts which must be completed separately, but all of
which must work in harmony in the final design. As shown in
the next sections integration is not limited to the combination
of physical subsystems and components, but also includes
integration of engineering disciplines, stakeholders and life
cycle phases (Fig. 1) [14][15].