8.5.2 Systems Engineering Heuristics – Is there a need to innovate, integrate and invigorate?

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a survey to evaluate the current systems engineering heuristics and determine if there is a need to innovate, integrate and invigorate the existing set. By identifying the trends and needs of systems engineering heuristics, a research agenda for SECOE can be improved. This paper uses the Pragmatic Principles (DeFoe, 1993) as a bench mark for systems engineering heuristics and the INCOSE 2000 proceedings as the state of the art of engineering practice to identify the heuristics many systems engineers support. The results of this investigation indicates that there are heuristics that are generic for both product and product development systems (process), and others that are focused on product not process, but there is not complete agreement on any heuristic. The FRAT concept (Mar, 1991) is used as a framework to organize and simplify these heuristics.