Systems Engineering

Overview

Systems Engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering that focuses on the design, integration, and management of complex systems over their life cycles. At its core, systems engineering utilizes systems thinking principles to organize this body of knowledge. The individual outcome of such efforts, an engineered system, can be defined as a combination of components that work in synergy to collectively perform a useful function.

History

The origins of systems engineering can be traced back to the development of large-scale military systems during World War II. The need for a formalized approach to managing complexity in engineering of systems gave rise to the discipline known as systems engineering. The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) was founded in 1990, and its mission is to advance the state of the art and practice of systems engineering in industry, academia, and government by promoting interdisciplinary, scalable approaches to produce technologically appropriate solutions that meet societal needs.

Principles and Concepts

Systems engineering principles are applied in the design of networked computing systems. These principles are also applicable to other types of systems such as transportation and infrastructure systems, food and water supply networks and other social systems. The key principles of systems engineering, as identified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), include holism, emergent behavior, boundary, interrelationships, and diversity.

Systems Engineering Process

The systems engineering process is a discovery process that is quite unlike a manufacturing process. A manufacturing process is focused on repetitive activities that achieve high quality outputs with minimum cost and time. The systems engineering process must begin by discovering the real problems that need to be resolved, and identify the most probable or highest impact failures that can occur - systems engineering involves finding solutions to these problems.

Systems Engineering Models and Methods

Models and methods are key tools in systems engineering. They provide a standardized approach to the design and implementation of a project and can serve as a roadmap to the project team. Some of the commonly used models and methods in systems engineering include the Systems Modeling Language (SysML), Object Process Methodology (OPM), and the Unified Modeling Language (UML).

Systems Engineering Standards

There are several standards related to systems engineering that are produced by various standards-making organizations. These include the ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2015 Systems and software engineering - System life cycle processes and the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook.

Role of Systems Engineers

The role of a systems engineer is not defined by a specific industry or sector. Instead, it is defined by the complexity of the system being managed, and the types of problems that need to be solved. Systems engineers are needed in almost every industry, from software development to aerospace.

Systems Engineering Education

Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field that requires a broad knowledge base. Therefore, education in systems engineering can vary greatly, but it often includes a combination of coursework in engineering, mathematics, computer science, and physical sciences.