What This Guide Achieves
This guide shows you how to use the System Structure Navigator report to explore your system architecture, view FMEA coverage, and drill down from system elements to their associated documents and work items.
Steps
1. Access the System Structure Navigator
Navigate to Home → Reports section → System Structure Navigator link.
Alternatively, access from:
- Design Space Dashboard → Reports section
- Requirements Space Dashboard → Reports section
The report opens in a full-page view showing the complete system element hierarchy.
2. Understand the Report Layout
The System Structure Navigator displays a tree table with these columns:
| Column | Content |
|---|
| System Element / Document | Element name with hierarchical indentation and icon |
| Type | Element type (System/Subsystem/Component) or document type |
| Status | Workflow status of element or document |
| Work Items | Count of work items in associated documents |
| Tool | Risksheet/PowerSheet indicator for documents |
3. Navigate the Hierarchy
Expand/collapse sections:
- Click the icon to expand a system element
- Click the ▼ icon to collapse
- Top-level elements start expanded by default
Visual hierarchy cues:
- Indentation indicates parent-child relationships
- Icon colors distinguish levels (purple shades: system/subsystem/component)
- Documents appear nested under their parent system element
4. View FMEA Coverage
For each system element, the navigator shows associated FMEA documents:
- System level → System SFMEA document
- Subsystem level → Subsystem SFMEA document
- Component level → Component DFMEA document
Missing FMEA indicators:
If a system element has no associated document, the row shows only the element with no nested document entry—this indicates a coverage gap.
5. Drill Down to Documents
Click any document name to open the FMEA risksheet:
- Click Camera Module - Component DFMEA (document link)
- Risksheet opens showing all failure modes for that component
- Navigate back using browser back button or sidebar
6. View Function Allocations
The navigator shows which functions are allocated to each system element:
In the System Structure Navigator:
- Functions appear as work items associated with subsystem elements
- The Work Items column count includes allocated functions
- Click the element name to view full work item details including function allocations
To see all functions allocated to a subsystem at once, use the Subsystem Functions PowerSheet from the Design space instead of clicking individual elements.
7. Track Element Status
The Status column shows the workflow state of system elements:
- Draft — Element defined but not yet reviewed
- Approved — Element structure approved by systems engineering
- Baseline — Element frozen for configuration control
Status helps track which parts of your system decomposition are finalized.
System element status is independent from FMEA document workflow. An Approved element can still have a Draft FMEA document nested under it.
8. Use for Compliance Audits
The System Structure Navigator serves as ISO 26262 Part 4-6 evidence:
For auditors:
- Demonstrates complete system decomposition (ISO 26262-4 §6.4.3)
- Shows FMEA coverage across all abstraction levels
- Provides traceability from system architecture to failure analysis
Print the report:
Use browser print function (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P) to generate PDF snapshot for audit packages.
Verification
You should now see:
- Complete system element tree from SYSTEM → SUBSYSTEM → COMPONENT levels
- All associated FMEA/SFMEA/DFMEA documents nested under parent elements
- Work item counts showing scope of each document
- Ability to drill down to any risksheet by clicking document name
Common Issues
If a DFMEA exists but doesn’t appear under its component, check:
- Document Space is set to “Design” or “Risks”
- Document Type matches expected value (componentDFMEA)
- System element is properly linked in document custom fields
The navigator uses Polarion moduleFolder and moduleSpace filters plus custom field matching. If the same component appears twice in different subsystems, this indicates a parent-child relationship issue:
- Check that each component has exactly one parent subsystem
- Verify outline numbering follows strict hierarchy (1.1.1, not 1.1.1 and 2.1.1 for same component)
- Use System Hierarchy concept page to understand parent-child constraints
See Also
