Systems engineering, test and evaluation: maximising customer satisfaction

Abstract

This issue consists of extended versions of the best papers selected from the 11th Systems Engineering Test and Evaluation Conference (SETE 2006) held in Melbourne, Australia from Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 September 2006. This conference series has long been regarded as the premier conference for Australian and international researchers and practitioners in the area of systems engineering as well as systems test and evaluation. The conference is organised by the Systems Engineering Society of Australia (SESA) (a technical society of Engineers Australia), the Southern Cross Chapter of The International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA) and The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) region VI. The theme of 2006 conference was: Project Success – Maximising Customer Satisfaction. In total 49 papers were submitted to SETE 2006 and reviewed by the international program committees. Nineteen academic papers were selected for presentation as full papers at the conference. In addition, we invited two keynote speakers and 13 industrial representatives to present special topics. In combination, we achieved an interesting program, which attracted over 170 delegates mostly with an industrial background. To assemble this special issue, the papers with the best reviews and the best presentations at the conference were selected and their authors were invited to submit extended versions. These extended versions have been further refereed and revised according to the usual high standards of this