ICAT

Interactive Context Analysis Tool

Senior project for Team Red of 2013-14

"If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it."

— Albert Einstein

"a problem well put is half solved."

— John Dewey

"It isn't that they can't see the solution. It is that they can't see the problem."

— Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Problem Statement

Resources are often wasted in systems engineering projects because of incorrectly defined problems.

Problem Characteristics

Linear development processes fail to take into account changing problem frames
Insufficient analysis of a problem occurs before a solution is pursued
Lack of traceable planning efforts leads to inadequate or irrelevant solutions

The Solution

Provide an interactive software tool that creates a visual representation of a problem domain with its characteristics and players as defined by the user.

Solution Characteristics

Visual representation of problem characteristics and player relations
- Players can be laws, companies, or other imposing entities
Graphical tool that uses user input to generate an interactive, layered diagram
Asynchronous usability for all parties in the planning process
Traceable usage or project history

Potential Customers

Systems Engineers
Organizations that have large system engineering projects