5.5.3 Systems Engineering Management

Abstract

Organizations may have sophisticated and detailed systems engineering process models yet struggle to implement them effectively in the face of conflicting internal priorities, legacy practices and slowly changing cultures. Taking experiences from a number of sources this paper identifies a range of current systems engineering issues and suggests that it is the interface of systems engineering with other business activities that is a cause of many implementation problems. By taking a systems view of the business (a systems‐make‐systems approach), one can use systems engineering principles to address these problems. A broader remit for Systems Engineering Management is recommended.

10.3.1 The Producing System

“…(James Martin 2004) describes the Realization System as all the resources to be applied in causing the Intervention System [Required System] to be fully conceived, developed, produced, tested, and deployed; including people and organizations, facilities and equipment, materials and supplies, services and utilities, processes and methods, tools and techniques, policies and procedures, data and information, knowledge and wisdom, and so on. (Smith, Cowper, and Emes 2004) describe the Business as the organization which hosts the system development and show that many of the issues for systems development projects are related to the interfaces between systems engineering and other domains within the business organization. They suggest further that by taking a systems view of the business (a systemsmake-systems approach); one can use systems engineering principles to address these issues.…”