What is Systems Engineering?
Robert Halligan
Systems engineering thought leader, consultant, trainer and coach, impacting people's lives on six continents.
I am often asked “what is systems engineering?”. My detailed reply if called for is along the lines:
Systems engineering is a set of principles and supporting methods, based on systems thinking, for the successful engineering of solutions to problems. The approach is based on related process elements that are selected and integrated for use in response to a given set of circumstances to maximize the value delivered to applicable stakeholders, having regard to uncertainty.
Mastery of systems engineering spans requirements analysis (requirements capture and validation), physical (structural) design, logical design (the logic of how the system is to work), effectiveness evaluation and decision making (the conduct of trade studies), specification of system elements, system integration (building the system in development), verification of work products (job right?), validation of work products (right job?), integration into the engineering of specialty engineering disciplines, and systems engineering management (management of the engineering where a systems approach is being used).
Together these process elements, applied recursively and with degrees of iteration dependent on novelty, complexity and stability of need, embrace the totality of systems engineering practice, when applied to social, socio-technical and technical systems, including systems for development, production, maintenance, retirement, disposal, and other system life cycle processes, as applicable.
Do you view SE the same or differently?
Senior Crazy Architect, Systems Thinker at Cap Gemini Engineering
3 年Note: My purpose is not to criticize Robert's proposal, but rather to share my frustration with you. I have come across many definitions of what systems engineering is. Unfortunately, I have to admit that none of them is really operative, let alone performative. With the benefit of hindsight, I have drawn the following summary, classifying them into three categories: Those of the type "systems engineering is a problem-solving approach" and with various adjectives to specify the type of problem (complex, system, etc.). And so, in a certain sense, systems engineering is synonymous with plain engineering, meditation or reflection, political commitment, associative commitment, etc. ?? The one of the type "systems engineering is a set of activities, methods, techniques, ..." and sometimes by explicitly listing: requirements engineering, design, integration, verification, validation, and so on. It is then curious, for an approach that claims to be based on systems thinking, to dwell on the specification of elements, sometimes in an extensive way, rather than on the interactions between these elements, and thus on the expected emergences. On the other hand, any genius, or any art, can also be defined as a set of activities, methods, techniques, ... A third interesting category trumpets systems engineering as a "comprehensive, multidisciplinary, holistic, recursive, systemic and systematic effort, ..." This gives a hint of what it should be, but not how it is done. It does not give clues about what is the essence of systems engineering work.
Software, Systems, Simulations and Society (My Opinions Merely Mine)
3 年I totally agree with everything said. But for a simpler explanation to non-practioners, I would go with something like, "It's deliberately and meticulously gathering, organizing, and arranging the key concepts about a problem or situation, with careful consideration for the outcomes and consequences of those concept arrangements." Admittedly that definition is a bit too artsy for practitioners, but it seems to sit well with intelligent non-practioners.
Systems Integration Scientist - Start Integrated, Stay Integrated
3 年I would say that Systems Engineering is an "art and science" of integrating technologies into solutions for problems. Technology without problem is R&D (startups are notorious for this) , solving problems without technology is management or politics.
Founder and CEO of Human Factors Solutions AS, Norway
3 年All Systems are ( should be) designed to serve a purpose. And that purpose is to serve people. So SE is all about designing systems that serve a human need.