Glossary · System coordination, integration and orchestration
Requirements allocation
Also known as: Requirement allocation
German: Anforderungszuordnung
In systems engineering, requirements allocation is the assignment of system requirements, or portions of them, to the elements of the system architecture, such as subsystems, hardware, software or people, which then become responsible for satisfying them.
- System integration
In one sentence
Requirements allocation assigns system requirements to architecture elements such as subsystems, hardware, software or people.
Example
The requirement "stop the conveyor within 200 ms after a light-curtain interruption" is allocated partly to the safety light curtain, partly to the safety PLC and partly to the drive with Safe Torque Off.
How it applies
- Engineering: Allocation turns a system requirement into derived requirements for each element. Budgets, such as response time, mass or power, are split between elements, and the split must add up.
- Traceability: Each allocation is recorded as a Trace link from the system requirement to the element and its derived requirements. This is what makes Impact analysis possible later.
- Verification: Every allocated requirement needs a verification at element level, and the system-level requirement still needs verification at system level.
- Documentation: Allocations to people (for example "the operator checks …") must end up in the instructions. Technical writers should review requirements allocated to users, because they are commitments the documentation must fulfill.
Requirements allocation vs. requirements derivation
Allocation assigns a requirement to an architecture element. Derivation creates new, more detailed requirements from it. Both usually happen together, but they are recorded as separate relationships in requirements tools and SysML.