Overview
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Type ID | systemElement |
| Sort Order | 7 |
| Domain | Requirements (Requirements space) |
| Managed In | SYSTEM-ELEMENTS document |
| ISO Standard | IEC 60601 system decomposition |
Custom Fields
System element work items have a single custom field for product decomposition classification:| Field ID | Display Name | Type | Enum |
|---|---|---|---|
elementType | Element Type | enum | systemElementType |
systemElementType Values
The five-level decomposition hierarchy enables IEC 60601-based product structure modeling:| Level | Enum ID | Display Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | system | System | Top-level product (e.g., V Series Infusion Pump System) |
| 2 | subsystem | Subsystem | Major functional grouping (e.g., Fluid Pumping & Housing Subsystem) |
| 3 | assembly | Assembly | Integrated unit within a subsystem |
| 4 | subassembly | Subassembly | Sub-unit within an assembly |
| 5 | component | Component | Individual part or module (e.g., Peristaltic Pump Mechanism) |
Standard Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
title | String | Name of the system element |
description | Rich text | Detailed description of the element’s purpose and characteristics |
status | Enum (systemElement-status) | Extended 7-state lifecycle (adds In Progress vs. standard 6-state) |
severity | Enum (severity) | General severity classification |
priority | Enum (priority) | Priority level |
System elements use a 7-state lifecycle that includes an In Progress state between Draft and In Review, recognizing that system elements require active engineering work before review. See System Element Type Hierarchy for the full status enum.
Link Roles
System element work items participate in several link roles across the traceability graph:| Link Role | Direction | Connected Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
parent | Both | systemElement | Hierarchical nesting (same-type only) |
allocatedTo | Reverse (from function, failureMode, riskRecord, processStep) | Multiple | Items allocated to this element |
associates | Reverse (from processStep) | processStep | Process steps involving this element (RTM model) |
Hierarchical Nesting
Theparent link role enforces sameType='true', meaning only system elements can be nested under other system elements. Combined with the elementType field, this creates a typed hierarchy:
RTM Domain Model
In the RTM domain model (rtm.yaml), SystemElement is a domain entity with:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Polarion Type | systemElement |
| Exposed Properties | outlineNumber, description |
| Relationships | Target of allocatedTo from functions; target of associates from process steps |
Reference Architecture
The Smart Infusion Pump reference device uses a 1 system + 6 subsystem decomposition with 35 total system elements:| Level | Count | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| System | 1 | V Series Infusion Pump System |
| Subsystem | 6 | Fluid Pumping, Control & Processing, User Interface, Sensing & Monitoring, Power Management, External Communications |
| Component | 28 | Peristaltic Pump Mechanism, Main Control Unit, LCD Display, Ultrasonic Bubble Sensor, Rechargeable Battery Pack |
Related Pages
- Work Item Types — Overview of all 16 work item types
- Function (function) — Functions allocated to system elements
- Process Step (processStep) — Process steps linked to system elements
- System Element Type Hierarchy — The 5-level decomposition enum
- System Element Hierarchy — Conceptual explanation of product decomposition
- Link Roles and Traceability Relationships — Full link role reference