ESSENCE — Subclause: A.3.2.3 System Element

Specification: Essence – Kernel and Language for Software Engineering Methods (ad/2013-02-01)

Subclause: A.3.2.3 System Element

I strongly object to the term System Element used in A.3.2.3 System Element. I think it is a poorly defined term and seems to imply that a system is part of a software system. In systems engineering and in industry in practice, system is used to describe the larger component. INCOSE describes a system in the following way: "An interacting combination of elements viewed in relation to function (INCOSE)". It then goes on to say: "The elements, or parts, can include people, hardware, software, facilities, policies, and documents; that is, all things required to produce systems-level results. The results include system level qualities, properties, characteristics, functions, behavior and performance." The subsequent definition in this specification only includes software, hardware and date. I think this is shortsighted. I recommend that a new term should be found such as software system element.

(From an evaluation comment by Matthew Hause.)

Even though, in Essence, a "Software System" is defined to include "software, hardware and data". this is still not as expansive as the INCOSE definition of "system" and the elements it includes. Therefore, it is reasonable to make it clear in A.3.2.3 that the elements being considered are specifically "Software System Elements".