This document establishes a common framework of process descriptions for describing the life cycle of systems created by humans, defining a set of processes and associated terminology from an engineering viewpoint. These processes can be applied to systems of interest, their system elements, and to systems of systems. Selected sets of these processes can be applied throughout the stages of a system's life cycle. This is accomplished through the involvement of stakeholders, with the ultimate goal of achieving customer satisfaction.

This document defines a set of processes to facilitate system development and information exchange among acquirers, suppliers, and other stakeholders in the life cycle of a system.

This document specifies processes that support the definition, control, and improvement of the system life cycle processes used within an organization or a project. Organizations and projects can use these processes when acquiring and supplying systems.

This document applies to organizations in their roles as both acquirers and suppliers.

This document 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 document can be applied iteratively and concurrently to a system and recursively to the system elements.

This document applies to one-of-a-kind systems, mass-produced systems, and customised, 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.

This document does not prescribe a specific system life cycle model, development methodology, method, modelling approach or technique.

This document does not detail information items in terms of name, format, explicit content, and recording media. ISO/IEC/IEEE 15289 addresses the content for life cycle process information items (documentation).