ISO/IEC 15288:2008

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 15288
IEEE
Std 15288-2008
Second edition
2008-02-01
Systems and software engineering —
System life cycle processes
Ingénierie des systèmes et du logiciel — Processus du cycle de vie
du système
Reference number
IEEE
Std 15288-2008
IEEE Std 15288:2008
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but
shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In
downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat
accepts no liability in this area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation
parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In
the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.

ISO
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.org
Web www.iso.org
IEEE Std 15288™-2008
(Revision of
IEEE Std 15288-2004)
Systems and software engineering — System life cycle
processes
Sponsor
Software & Systems Engineering Standards Committee
of the
IEEE Computer Society
© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
i
IEEE Std 15288-2008
Abstract: This International Standard establishes a common process framework for describing the life
cycle of man-made systems. It defines a set of processes and associated terminology for the full life cycle,
including conception, development, production, utilization, support and retirement. This standard also
supports the definition, control, assessment, and improvement of these processes. These processes can
be applied concurrently, iteratively, and recursively to a system and its elements throughout the life cycle of
a system.
Keywords: acquisition, agreement, architectural design, assessment, audit, configuration management,
decision management, development, disposal, enabling system, implementation, information management,
infrastructure, integration, life cycle, life cycle model, life cycle stages, maintenance, measurement,
operation, planning, process, process improvement, process reference model, process tailoring, process
view, product, project portfolio, quality management, requirements, retirement, risk management, service,
stages, stakeholder requirements, supply, system, system structure, system-of-interest, tailoring, transition,
validation, verification
This document is an International Standard and is copyright-protected by ISO and the IEEE. Except as permitted under the
applicable laws of the user's country, neither this ISO/IEC-IEEE standard nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior
written permission being secured. Requests for permission to reproduce should be addressed to either ISO or the IEEE at the
addresses below.
ISO Copyright Office
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
.
Case postale 56 CH-1211 Geneva 20
IEEE Standards Activities Department
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
445 Hoes Lane
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
Piscataway, NJ 08854
E-mail copyright@iso.org
E-mail stds.ipr@ieee.org
Web www.iso.org
Web www.ieee.org
Published 31 January 2008. Printed in the United States of America.
IEEE is a registered trademark in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, owned by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, Incorporated.
Print: ISBN 0-7381-5665-5 SH95714
PDF: ISBN 0-7381-5666-3 SS95714

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, in an electronic retrieval system or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
iii
IEEE Std 15288-2008
International Standard ISO/IEC 15288:2008(E)
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees established
by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC technical
committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental and non-
governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information technology,
ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC 15288 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 7, Systems and software engineering.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO/IEC 15288:2002), which has been technically
revised.
The IEEE Computer Society collaborated with ISO/IEC JTC 1 in the development of this International
Standard. IEEE Std 15288-2004, Adoption of ISO/IEC 15288:2002, Systems Engineering—System Life Cycle
Processes, was one of the base documents used in the development of this International Standard.
Changes in this revision of ISO/IEC 15288 were developed in conjunction with a corresponding revision of
ISO/IEC 12207. The purpose of these revisions is to better align the two International Standards to facilitate
their joint use. This alignment takes the first step toward harmonization of the structures and contents of the
two International Standards, while supporting the requirements of the assessment community. This alignment
provides the foundation to facilitate evolution to an integrated and fully harmonized treatment of life cycle
processes.
This International Standard was developed with the following goals:
⎯ provide a common terminology between the revision of the ISO/IEC 15288 and ISO/IEC 12207;
⎯ where applicable, provide common process names and process structure between the revision of the
ISO/IEC 15288 and ISO/IEC 12207;
⎯ enable user community to evolve towards fully harmonized standards, while maximizing backward
compatibility, and
⎯ leverage ten years of experience with the development and use of ISO/IEC 12207 and ISO/IEC 15288.
A subsequent revision is intended to achieve a fully harmonized view of the system and software life cycle
processes. Identified areas to consider in the future include: common process purposes and outcomes,
architecture of the standards, level of prescription of activities and tasks, life cycle treatments, treatment of
products and services, common verification and validation concepts, common configuration management
concepts, deferred recommendations, alignment with other applicable standards, and rationalization of
application guides.
© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
iv
IEEE Std 15288-2008
IEEE Standards documents are developed within the IEEE Societies and the Standards Coordinating Committees of the
IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Standards Board. The IEEE develops its standards through a consensus
development process, approved by the American National Standards Institute, which brings together volunteers
representing varied viewpoints and interests to achieve the final product. Volunteers are not necessarily members of the
Institute and serve without compensation. While the IEEE administers the process and establishes rules to promote
fairness in the consensus development process, the IEEE does not independently evaluate, test, or verify the accuracy of
any of the information contained in its standards.

Use of an IEEE Standard is wholly voluntary. The IEEE disclaims liability for any personal injury, property or other
damage, of any nature whatsoever, whether special, indirect, consequential, or compensatory, directly or indirectly
resulting from the publication, use of, or reliance upon this, or any other IEEE Standard document.

The IEEE does not warrant or represent the accuracy or content of the material contained herein, and expressly disclaims
any express or implied warranty, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a specific purpose, or
that the use of the material contained herein is free from patent infringement. IEEE Standards documents are supplied
“AS IS.”
The existence of an IEEE Standard does not imply that there are no other ways to produce, test, measure, purchase,
market, or provide other goods and services related to the scope of the IEEE Standard. Furthermore, the viewpoint
expressed at the time a standard is approved and issued is subject to change brought about through developments in the
state of the art and comments received from users of the standard. Every IEEE Standard is subjected to review at least
every five years for revision or reaffirmation. When a document is more than five years old and has not been reaffirmed,
it is reasonable to conclude that its contents, although still of some value, do not wholly reflect the present state of the art.
Users are cautioned to check to determine that they have the latest edition of any IEEE Standard.

In publishing and making this document available, the IEEE is not suggesting or rendering professional or other services
for, or on behalf of, any person or entity. Nor is the IEEE undertaking to perform any duty owed by any other person or
entity to another. Any person utilizing this, and any other IEEE Standards document, should rely upon the advice of a
competent professional in determining the exercise of reasonable care in any given circumstances.

Interpretations: Occasionally questions may arise regarding the meaning of portions of standards as they relate to specific
applications. When the need for interpretations is brought to the attention of IEEE, the Institute will initiate action to
prepare appropriate responses. Since IEEE Standards represent a consensus of concerned interests, it is important to
ensure that any interpretation has also received the concurrence of a balance of interests. For this reason, IEEE and the
members of its societies and Standards Coordinating Committees are not able to provide an instant response to
interpretation requests except in those cases where the matter has previously received formal consideration. At lectures,
symposia, seminars, or educational courses, an individual presenting information on IEEE standards shall make it clear
that his or her views should be considered the personal views of that individual rather than the formal position,
explanation, or interpretation of the IEEE.

Comments for revision of IEEE Standards are welcome from any interested party, regardless of membership affiliation
with IEEE. Suggestions for changes in documents should be in the form of a proposed change of text, together with
appropriate supporting comments. Comments on standards and requests for interpretations should be addressed to:

Secretary, IEEE-SA Standards Board
445 Hoes Lane
Piscataway, NJ 08854
USA
Authorization to photocopy portions of any individual standard for internal or personal use is granted by the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., provided that the appropriate fee is paid to Copyright Clearance Center. To
arrange for payment of licensing fee, please contact Copyright Clearance Center, Customer Service, 222 Rosewood
Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA; +1 978 750 8400. Permission to photocopy portions of any individual standard for
educational classroom use can also be obtained through the Copyright Clearance Center.

© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
v
IEEE Std 15288-2008
Introduction
The complexity of man-made systems has increased to an unprecedented level. This has led to new
opportunities, but also to increased challenges for the organizations that create and utilize systems. These
challenges exist throughout the life cycle of a system and at all levels of architectural detail. They arise from
several sources:
⎯ There are inherent differences among the hardware, software and human elements from which systems
are constructed.
⎯ Almost every present-day system contains, and/or is modelled and supported by computer-based
technology.
⎯ There is a lack of harmonization and integration of the involved disciplines, including science, engineering,
management and finance.
There is therefore a need for a common framework to improve communication and cooperation among the
parties that create, utilize and manage modern systems in order that they can work in an integrated, coherent
fashion.
This International Standard provides a common process framework covering the life cycle of man-made
systems. This life cycle spans the conception of ideas through to the retirement of a system. It provides the
processes for acquiring and supplying systems. In addition, this framework provides for the assessment and
improvement of the life cycle processes.
This revised International Standard is an initial step in the SC7 harmonization strategy to achieve a fully
integrated suite of system and software life cycle processes and guidance for their application. This revision
aligns with the revision to ISO/IEC 12207 within the context of system life cycle processes and applies SC7
guidelines for process definition to support consistency, to improve usability and to align structure, terms, and
corresponding organizational and project processes.
The processes in this International Standard form a comprehensive set from which an organization can
construct system life cycle models appropriate to its products and services. An organization, depending on its
purpose, can select and apply an appropriate subset to fulfil that purpose.
This International Standard can be used in one or more of the following modes:
⎯ By an organization — to help establish an environment of desired processes. These processes can be
supported by an infrastructure of methods, procedures, techniques, tools and trained personnel. The
organization may then employ this environment to perform and manage its projects and progress systems
through their life cycle stages. In this mode this International Standard is used to assess conformance of
a declared, established environment to its provisions.
⎯ By a project — to help select, structure and employ the elements of an established environment to
provide products and services. In this mode this International Standard is used in the assessment of
conformance of the project to the declared and established environment.
⎯ By an acquirer and a supplier — to help develop an agreement concerning processes and activities. Via
the agreement, the processes and activities in this International Standard are selected, negotiated,
agreed to and performed. In this mode this International Standard is used for guidance in developing the
agreement.
⎯ By process assessors — to serve as a process reference model for use in the performance of process
assessments that may be used to support organizational process improvement.
This International Standard contains requirements in two clauses: Clause 6, that defines the requirements for
the system life cycle processes and Annex A that provides requirements for tailoring of this International
Standard. There are also several informative annexes contained in this International Standard:
© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
vi
IEEE Std 15288-2008
⎯ Annex B provides information about use of the system life cycle processes as a process reference model
to support process assessment.
⎯ Annex C provides a description of the process constructs used in this standard.
⎯ Annex D provides an example of a process view for Specialty Engineering, intended to illustrate how a
project might assemble processes, activities and tasks of ISO/IEC 15288 to provide focused attention to
the achievement of product characteristics that have been selected as being of special interest.
⎯ Annex E describes the alignment of the processes of ISO/IEC 15288 and ISO/IEC 12207.
⎯ Annex F describes relationships to other IEEE standards.
NOTE  A future Technical Report (ISO/IEC TR 24748) will describe the relations between this International Standard
and ISO/IEC 12207:2008.
© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
vii
IEEE Std 15288-2008
IEEE Introduction
This introduction is not part of IEEE Std 15288™-2008, Systems and Software Engineering — Systems Life Cycle
Processes.
IEEE Std 12207™-2008 and IEEE Std 15288™-2008 are identical to ISO/IEC 12207:2008 and
IEEE counterparts. Further details regarding relationships to IEEE standards can be found in Annex F.

This standard replaces IEEE Std 15288™-2004, Adoption of ISO/IEC 15288:2002, Systems Engineering—
System Life Cycle Processes. The original ISO/IEC 15288 was published in November 2002 and was the first
international standard to provide a comprehensive set of life cycle processes for systems.

This new revision of ISO/IEC 15288 is the product of a coordinated effort by IEEE and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7.
The base documents for the revision included the ISO/IEC standard and informative material from the 2004
IEEE adoption. Development of this revision was carefully coordinated with the parallel revision of ISO/IEC
12207:1995 to align structure, terms, and corresponding organizational and project processes.

This revised standard is a step in the SC7 harmonization strategy to achieve a fully integrated suite of system
and software life cycle processes and guidance for their application. It is also an important step in the shared
strategy of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 and the IEEE to harmonize their respective collections of standards. The new
editions of ISO/IEC 12207 and ISO/IEC 15288, and their identical IEEE editions, will provide a single, shared
baseline of systems and software life cycle processes applicable to both ISO/IEC and the IEEE standards
collections.
Notice to users
Errata
Errata, if any, for this and all other standards can be accessed at the following URL: http://
standards.ieee.org/reading/ieee/updates/errata/index.html. Users are encouraged to check this URL for errata
periodically.
Interpretations
Current interpretations can be accessed at the following URL: http://standards.ieee.org/reading/ieee/interp/
index.html.
Patents
Attention is called to the possibility that implementation of this standard may require use of subject matter
covered by patent rights. By publication of this standard, no position is taken with respect to the existence or
validity of any patent rights in connection therewith. The IEEE shall not be responsible for identifying patents
or patent applications for which a license may be required to implement an IEEE standard or for conducting
inquiries into the legal validity or scope of those patents that are brought to its attention.

© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
viii
IEEE Std 15288-2008
Contents Page
Introduction.vi
1 Overview.1
1.1 Scope.1
1.2 Purpose .1
1.3 Field of application.1
1.4 Limitations .2
2 Conformance.2
2.1 Intended usage .2
2.2 Full conformance.2
2.3 Tailored conformance.2
3 Normative references.3
4 Terms and definitions .3
5 Key concepts and application of this International Standard .7
5.1 System concepts.7
5.1.1 Introduction.7
5.1.2 Systems.7
5.1.3 System Structure.8
5.1.4 Enabling systems.9
5.2 Life cycle concepts .10
5.2.1 System life cycle model.10
5.2.2 System life cycle stages .10
5.3 Process concepts.11
5.3.1 Description of processes.11
5.3.2 Processes in this standard.11
5.3.3 Process application.13
5.3.4 Process tailoring .14
6 System Life Cycle Processes.14
6.1 Agreement Processes.14
6.1.1 Acquisition Process.15
6.1.2 Supply Process.16
6.2 Organizational Project-Enabling Processes.18
6.2.1 Life Cycle Model Management Process.18
6.2.2 Infrastructure Management Process.19
6.2.3 Project Portfolio Management Process .20
6.2.4 Human Resource Management Process.22
6.2.5 Quality Management Process .23
6.3 Project Processes .24
6.3.1 Project Planning Process .25
6.3.2 Project Assessment and Control Process.27
6.3.3 Decision Management Process .29
6.3.4 Risk Management Process.30
6.3.5 Configuration Management Process.32
6.3.6 Information Management Process.33
6.3.7 Measurement Process .34
6.4 Technical Processes.35
6.4.1 Stakeholder Requirements Definition Process .36
6.4.2 Requirements Analysis Process.39
6.4.3 Architectural Design Process .40
6.4.4 Implementation Process.42
6.4.5 Integration Process.44
6.4.6 Verification Process.45
6.4.7 Transition Process .46
© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
ix
IEEE Std 15288-2008
6.4.8 Validation Process. 47
6.4.9 Operation Process. 49
6.4.10 Maintenance Process . 50
6.4.11 Disposal Process. 52
Annex A (normative) Tailoring Process. 54
A.1 Introduction. 54
A.2 Tailoring Process. 54
A.2.1 Purpose. 54
A.2.2 Outcomes. 54
A.2.3 Activities and tasks . 54
Annex B (informative) Process Reference Model for Assessment Purposes . 56
B.1 Introduction. 56
B.2 Conformance with ISO/IEC 15504-2. 56
B.2.1 General. 56
B.2.2 Requirements for Process Reference Models.56
B.2.3 Process descriptions . 57
B.3 The Process Reference Model. 57
Annex C (informative) Process Integration and Process Constructs. 58
C.1 Introduction. 58
C.2 Process constructs and their usage. 58
Annex D (informative) Process views . 60
D.1 Introduction. 60
D.2 Definition. 60
D.3 The process view concept. 60
D.3.1 Process viewpoint. 60
D.4 Process view for specialty engineering . 61
Annex E (informative) ISO/IEC 15288 and ISO/IEC 12207 Process alignment . 63
E.1 Introduction. 63
E.2 Alignment description. 63
Annex F (informative) Relationship to other IEEE standards. 65
F.1 Introduction. 65
F.2 Relationship of IEEE Std 12207 and IEEE Std 15288 . 65
F.3 Other relevant IEEE standards. 65
F.4 Relationship of IEEE Std 1220. 65
F.5 Relationship of IEEE Std 1228. 66
F.6 Relationship of IEEE Std 1233. 66
F.7 Relationship of IEEE Std 1362. 67
F.8 Relationship of IEEE Std 1471. 67
Annex G (informative) Bibliography. 68
Annex H (informative) List of Participants. 70

© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
x
IEEE Std 15288-2008
Systems and software engineering — System life cycle
processes
1 Overview
1.1 Scope
This International Standard establishes a common framework for describing the life cycle of systems created
by humans. It defines a set of processes and associated terminology. These processes can be applied at
any level in the hierarchy of a system’s structure. Selected sets of these processes can be applied throughout
the life cycle for managing and performing the stages of a system's life cycle. This is accomplished through
the involvement of all interested parties, with the ultimate goal of achieving customer satisfaction.
This International Standard also provides processes that support the definition, control and improvement of
the life cycle processes used within an organization or a project. Organizations and projects can use these life
cycle processes when acquiring and supplying systems.
This International Standard concerns those systems that are man-made and may be configured with one or
more of the following: hardware, software, data, humans, processes (e.g., processes for providing service to
users), procedures (e.g., operator instructions), facilities, materials and naturally occurring entities.
When a system element is software, the software life cycle processes documented in ISO/IEC 12207:2008
may be used to implement that system element. The two standards are harmonized for concurrent use on a
single project or in a single organization. When the system element is hardware, refer to other International
Standards outside the scope of SC7.
1.2 Purpose
The purpose of this International Standard is to provide a defined set of processes to facilitate communication
among acquirers, suppliers and other stakeholders in the life cycle of a system.
This International Standard applies to organizations in their roles as both acquirers and suppliers. It can be
used by a single organization in a self-imposed mode or in a multi-party situation. Parties can be from the
same organization or from different organizations and the situation can range from an informal agreement to a
formal contract.
The processes in this International Standard can be used as a basis for establishing business environments,
e.g., methods, procedures, techniques, tools and trained personnel. Annex A provides normative direction
regarding the tailoring of these system life cycle processes.
1.3 Field of application
This International Standard applies to the full life cycle of systems, including conception, development,
production, utilization, support and retirement of systems, and to the acquisition and supply of systems,
whether performed internally or externally to an organization. The life cycle processes of this International
Standard can be applied concurrently, iteratively and recursively to a system and its elements.
There is a wide variety of systems in terms of their purpose, domain of application, complexity, size, novelty,
adaptability, quantities, locations, life spans and evolution. This International Standard describes the
processes that comprise the life cycle of any man-made system. It therefore applies to one-of-a-kind systems,
mass-produced systems and customized, adaptable systems. It also applies to a complete stand-alone
system and to systems that are embedded and integrated into larger more complex and complete systems.
© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
IEEE Std 15288-2008
This International Standard provides a process reference model characterized in terms of the process purpose
and the process outcomes that result from the successful execution of the activity tasks. This International
Standard can therefore be used as a reference model to support process assessment as specified in ISO/IEC
15504-2:2003. Annex B provides information regarding the use of the system life cycle processes as a
process reference model. Annex C describes the process constructs for use in the process reference model.
1.4 Limitations
This International Standard does not prescribe a specific system life cycle model, development methodology,
method, model or technique. This International Standard does not detail the life cycle processes in terms of
methods or procedures required to meet the requirements and outcomes of a process.
This International Standard does not detail documentation in terms of name, format, explicit content and
recording media.
This International Standard is not intended to be in conflict with any organization’s policies, procedures, and
standards or with any national laws and regulations. Any such conflict should be resolved before using this
International Standard.
2 Conformance
2.1 Intended usage
The requirements in this International Standard are contained in Clause 6 and Annex A. This International
Standard provides requirements for a number of processes suitable for usage during the life cycle of a system.
It is recognized that particular projects or organizations may not need to use all of the processes provided by
this International Standard. Therefore, implementation of this International Standard typically involves
selecting a set of processes suitable to the organization or project. There are two ways that an
implementation can be claimed to conform with the provisions of this International Standard. Any claim of
conformance is cited in only one of the two forms below.
2.2 Full conformance
A claim of full conformance declares the set of processes for which conformance is claimed. Full
conformance is achieved by demonstrating that all of the requirements of the declared set of processes have
been satisfied using the outcomes as evidence.
2.3 Tailored conformance
When this International Standard is used as a basis for establishing a set of processes that do not qualify for
full conformance, the clauses of this International Standard are selected or modified in accordance with the
tailoring process prescribed in Annex A. The tailored text, for which tailored conformance is claimed, is
declared. Tailored conformance is achieved by demonstrating that requirements for the processes, as tailored,
have been satisfied using the outcomes as evidence.
NOTE 1 When this International Standard is used to help develop an agreement between an acquirer and a supplier,
clauses of this International Standard can be selected for incorporation in the agreement with or without modification. In
this case, it is more appropriate for the acquirer and supplier to claim compliance with the agreement than conformance
with this International Standard.
NOTE 2 Any organization (for example, national, industrial association, company) imposing this International Standard,
as a condition of trade, should specify and make public the minimum set of required processes, activities, and tasks, which
constitute suppliers' conformance with this International Standard.
NOTE 3 Requirements of this International Standard are marked by the use of the verb "shall". Recommendations are
marked by the use of the verb "should". Permissions are marked by the use of the verb "may".
© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
IEEE Std 15288-2008
3 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 12207:2008, Systems and software engineering – Software life cycle processes
4 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
4.1
acquirer
stakeholder that acquires or procures a product or service from a supplier
NOTE Other terms commonly used for an acquirer are buyer, customer, owner, or purchaser.
4.2
acquisition
process of obtaining a system product or service
NOTE  Adapted from ISO/IEC 12207:2008.
4.3
activity
set of cohesive tasks of a process
4.4
agreement
mutual acknowledgement of terms and conditions under which a working relationship is conducted
4.5
architecture
fundamental organization of a system embodied in its components, their relationships to each other, and to
the environment, and the principles guiding its design and evolution
[ISO/IEC 42010:2007]
4.6
audit
systematic, independent and documented process for obtaining audit evidence and evaluating it objectively to
determine the extent to which audit criteria are fulfilled
[ISO 9000:2005]
4.7
baseline
specification or work product that has been formally reviewed and agreed upon, that thereafter serves as the
basis for further development, and that can be changed only through formal change control procedures
4.8
customer
organization or person that receives a product or service
NOTE 1 A customer can be internal or external to the organization.
NOTE 2  Adapted from ISO 9000:2005.
NOTE 3 Other terms commonly used for customer are acquirer, buyer, or purchaser.
© ISO/IEC 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
© IEEE 2008 ⎯ All rights reserved
IEEE Std 15288-2008
4.9
enabling system
system that supports a system-of-interest during its life cycle stages but does not necessarily contribute
directly to its function during operation
...