What are systems engineers talking about?

Abstract

Drawing a clear picture of systems engineering can be difficult, as it spans various disciplines in many different industries. Because systems engineering is so vast, many specialties exist; therefore, one systems engineer may offer a completely different viewpoint about his/her work compared with another. An online search for a definition of systems engineering will yield varying resultas, most of which discuss interdisciplinary approaches, customer needs, advanced modeling tools, and a wide range of life-cycle management activities. In addition, because a large collection of tools and techniques have been developed, conversations about systems engineering can quickly devolve into discussions of specific tools rather than systems engineering itself. The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) is the largest professional society of systems engineers. INCOSE defines systems engineering as follows (emphasis added by the authors): “Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems. It focuses on defining customer needs and required functionality early in the development cycle, documenting requirements, then proceeding with design synthesis and system validation while considering the complete problem: Operations, Cost & Schedule, Performance, Training & Support, Test, Disposal, Manufacturing.” Systems engineering integrates all relevant disciplines and specialty groups, forming a structured development process that proceeds from concept to production to operation. Systems engineering considers both the business and the technical needs of all customers, with the goal of providing a quality product that meets users’ needs.