A framework for design and integration of complex engineered systems: A study of SRITS

Abstract

The first possible step to achieving an understanding the design and management of complex systems is to understand what is meant by `complexity engineering'. Multitude of concepts in complexity engineering has been contextually developed in a wide range of disciplines by from scientists who are interested in bio-inspired methods and working in computer science or mobile robots, or they come from the area of systems engineering. A very fundamental need in complexity engineering is a general and well-developed methodology, set of design rules, and patterns for engineering `manageable' and `value robust' system architectures. The engineering of the Systemic Financial Risk Infrastructure Systems (SRITS) has notable resisted the application of the traditional system engineering approaches. SRITS is a complex adaptive system in the manner described by complexity science. The paper briefly presented a conceptual framework called CXLUD capable of dealing with the challenges posed by complex adaptive system, i.e. understanding, visualizing, designing, describing, managing and designing the future. The framework provides a means for system designers and managers to organize systems information in ways that allow for better collection, understanding and analysis of system information during early-phase conceptual design of complex systems. The paper summarizes the results from a series of design procedure case studies at one of the largest financial institutions in UK working on developing a complex systemic risk infrastructure projects to which the introduced decision making or way of thinking framework were applied.