Applied systems analysis: engineering planning and technology management

Abstract

Author Richard de Neufville has drawn upon his three decades of worldwide professional experience to create an impressive book that helps readers learn to apply Systems Analysis successfully and productively. To meet readers' needs, APPLIED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS presents the techniques and concepts that have been found to be most important in practice. It focuses on the two fundamental topics of Optimization and Evaluation— treating each differently, according to the state of analytical and conceptual progress in each area. The text offers a unique synthesis of the broad range of the most useful methods of systems analysis. These techniques are normally covered in several different courses in engineering, economics and operations research, each with their own vocabulary. APPLIED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS integrates this material into a coherent whole suitable for a core course for advanced undergraduate or entering graduate students. The techniques presented in the book apply to real problems—drawn from an extensive range of practical work over the last thirty years. The choice of topics reflects what actually matters in the real world of the management and design of technological systems. Extensive examples are described throughout the text. Making the material easy to understand has been a leading consideration in the writing of APPLIED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS. The language used throughout is as simple and direct as possible. Care has been devoted to defining concepts clearly and consistently, giving and explaining examples, and creating a book that is completely self-contained. Thoroughly up-to-date, the book incorporates the most recent developments in the field, and reflects the current pervasive use of personal computers.