Engineering Tasks

Overview

The ARM Climate Research Facility engineering process is a series of formal tasks to initiate, revise, and guide ARM engineering tasks. Using recognized engineering principles and software development lifecycle, the ARM engineering process is based on a series of steps that are supported by online applications. By following this process, ARM users keep the Infrastructure Management Board aware of their needs and concerns, allowing the Board to make more informed decisions about ARM resources.

Step One: Identify a design or development need

Anyone from the ARM Science Team or ARM Infrastructure can initiate an engineering request by identifying a need. A need is based on a science, engineering, or operational request that can result in a new product, capability, or functionality or in a modification to an instrument, computer system, or data stream. Choosing the right path to communicate this need to the ARM Engineering Group depends upon whether it is:

recognized problem (DQPR)
a new functionality
an immediate operational concern

Step Two: Assign accepted request to a developer

Proposed ARM engineering tasks are initiated and managed through specific engineering design processes. The first process begins with an initial engineering change request (ECR). If approved, the request is converted to an engineering change order (ECO) that provides for requirement analysis, design, development, documentation, training, and testing. Intended for managing complex engineering requests, the ECR/ECO process establishes a method that members of ARM Science, Operations, or Engineering can use to submit requests for new systems, products, or functionality.

Another process used during design is the engineering work request (EWR)/engineering work order (EWO) process. This process handles engineering tasks that require little or no design work. After analyzing an EWR/EWO, it may be determined that an ECR/ECO is required to resolve the task. In that case, the respective EWO is closed out and an ECR is initiated. The EWR/EWO process establishes a procedure and method that allows us to take prompt action on pressing problems (usually of an operational nature).

Step Three: Plan, design, and implement request

Throughout the ECO/EWO process, roles, responsibilities, and tracking methods are defined to facilitate understanding, priority, impact, and status of tasks. The Engineering Task Tracking Tool provides the necessary tools for management of the ECO and EWO processes. The Engineering group uses this tool to perform resource loading, to track and communicate status, and to schedule and set priorities.

Step Four: Conduct readiness review of completed request

At the completion of an engineered product, capability,or functionality, a readiness review request is submitted via a Baseline Change Request (BCR). The BCR system is used to manage all operational procedures, hardware, software, and structures for all systems within the ARM Facility. A BCR is required to change an established operational baseline through a detailed description of the proposed change, with assigned reviewers for comments and recommendations. The BCR establishes the hand-off of the engineered product, capability, or functionality to ACRF Operations and gains approval to implement. For more information on the BCR process, see the BCR guidelines.