Developing and implementing a master systems integration methodology can be a complicated process. Although integration results are implicitly expected by all stakeholders, many projects tend to dismiss it early or not even consider it altogether, as if the scope will be captured by a phantom safety net much later during construction. Although integration success is mandatory if one expects interconnected systems to exchange data, the process of effectively planning for it eludes many. Though not all accept MSI as a required process that is just as vital as individual system design, it is essential nonetheless in the development of a fully functional airport, integrating the technology that runs dozens of disparate operational systems in a cost-optimized fashion.
Why?
It’s mainly because there are no commonly accepted standards for planning, designing and implementing an MSI methodology. While there are well-documented physical, biological or chemical laws that govern engineering practices and scientific inquiry, there are no commonly accepted laws that govern the process of writing specifications and standards for the exchange of data between each complex system. Because there are no credentialed MSI degree programs from accredited educational institutions, it is generally relegated to the marketplace to create ad hoc standards or otherwise adopt models from academia or military applications. As a result, MSI standards may be defined, applied and executed in a number of different ways.
It’s important to understand what an MSI program is and what it is not.
First, it is not a software program or piece of hardware. It’s a framework — a thought process that directs the parameters and formats for data exchange so that data is accessible and ingested in such a manner as to be usable by other systems. The MSI framework must account for data producers and consumers. The specifications for all systems to be installed must be written to account for those requirements. This framework must be applied rigorously such that any system, regardless of its designer, contractor, supplier, tester or operator, functions as expected upon startup. Once a common methodology is defined, all design and build teams (and subsequent system delivery teams) must adhere to the MSI methodology for the systems installed to operate all critical functions.
Specifications must extend beyond just defining how data will be assimilated and shared. The MSI framework covers how systems are to be designed, specified, procured, delivered, installed and tested. Then it sets documentation standards so that the framework can be easily understood by terminal operators who will one day shoulder the responsibility for maintaining the systems in steady state once the engineers, architects and builders are finished.
Thus, because the marketplace produces dozens of variations, the more comprehensive definition is:
MSI is a framework that enables all systems to get the data they need when they need it and how they need it.