Systems engineering for project managers - what you need to know
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1. Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary approach that focuses on designing and managing complex systems as a whole rather than individual parts. It involves considering all aspects of a problem and relating technical and social factors. 2. A system is made up of interacting elements that work together to achieve specific purposes. Systems engineering is concerned with both the internal structure of a system's components and interactions, as well as a system's external relationships. 3. There are many common misconceptions about systems engineering, but it provides value through a holistic, big-picture thinking style and enabling complex problems to be addressed and transformations delivered through the life of a project.
![What is Systems Engineering?
• “Systems engineering is a discipline that concentrates on the design and
application of the whole (system) as distinct from the parts. It involves
looking at a problem in its entirety, taking into account all the facets and all
the variables and relating the social to the technical aspect.” [Simon Ramo,
quoted by RISE]
• “Systems engineering is an iterative process of top-down synthesis,
development, and operation of a real-world system that satisfies, in a near
optimal manner, the full range of requirements for the system.” [Howard
Eisner, in Essentials of Project and Systems Engineering Management,
Wiley, 2008]
• “Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable
the realization of successful systems.” [INCOSE Systems Engineering
Handbook]
Big Idea: SE is both systemic and systematic
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![What is a system?
• “A system is a combination of interacting elements
organized to achieve one or more stated purposes.”
[INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook]
• “A system is an open set of complementary, interacting
parts with properties, capabilities, and behaviours
emerging both from the parts and from their
interactions.”
[Hitchins, “Putting Systems to Work”]
Big Idea: Systems have property of emergence – the
whole is greater than the sum of the parts
Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/mkwilkinsonpresentationv2-130116043224-phpapp01/85/Systems-engineering-for-project-managers-what-you-need-to-know-4-320.jpg)
![Other Touchpoints
• Competencies and traits
– Big picture, breadth, knowledge, communications,
leadership, etc
• Artefacts
– WBS, tasks definitions, risk register/management
plan, stakeholder engagement plan, etc
• Responsibilities
– Requirements management, risk management,
stakeholder engagement, etc
[see NASA PM SE competency framework]
[see Eileen Arnold, “Systems Engineering and Project Management
Intersects and Confusion” INCOSE IS12]
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Systems engineering for project managers - what you need to know
- 1. Systems Engineering for Project Managers What you need to know, what you may think that you know which ain‟t so and what the main challenges are INCOSE/APM Joint Workshop – 15 January 2013 Prof Mike Wilkinson Atkins Technical Director Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 2. Introduction My Current Roles Technical Director Atkins Technical Director Niteworks Immediate Past-President INCOSE UK Visiting Professor Loughborough University My Background and History Technical Direction Technical Infrastructure/Governance Business Management Systems & Costing Technical Consultancy IT/Telecoms/Systems Academic Research Theoretical Physics What follows is a personal perspective – not endorsed by Atkins, INCOSE or anybody else! Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 3. What is Systems Engineering? • “Systems engineering is a discipline that concentrates on the design and application of the whole (system) as distinct from the parts. It involves looking at a problem in its entirety, taking into account all the facets and all the variables and relating the social to the technical aspect.” [Simon Ramo, quoted by RISE] • “Systems engineering is an iterative process of top-down synthesis, development, and operation of a real-world system that satisfies, in a near optimal manner, the full range of requirements for the system.” [Howard Eisner, in Essentials of Project and Systems Engineering Management, Wiley, 2008] • “Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems.” [INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook] Big Idea: SE is both systemic and systematic Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 4. What is a system? • “A system is a combination of interacting elements organized to achieve one or more stated purposes.” [INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook] • “A system is an open set of complementary, interacting parts with properties, capabilities, and behaviours emerging both from the parts and from their interactions.” [Hitchins, “Putting Systems to Work”] Big Idea: Systems have property of emergence – the whole is greater than the sum of the parts Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 5. Black box view System Boundary System (P, I, C) -Properties -Interactions -Capabilities Energy Inputs Material Outputs Information Big Idea: SE is all about controlling emergence Constraints System Environment External (Holistic) View of a System Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 6. White box view System (P, I, C) System Boundary -Properties -Interactions -Capabilities Component PIC PIC PIC Internal Interactions PIC Big Idea: You Big Idea: can‟t optimise the system by Systems are separately recursive optimising its components Internal (Structural) View of a System Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 7. There are many types of system - Hitchins‟ five layer model • Layer 5: Socio-economic layer • Layer 4: Industry layer • Layer 3: Business layer • Layer 2: Project or system layer • Layer 1: Product layer Big Idea: There is utility in applying Systems Thinking and Systems Approaches outside of „trad systems‟ Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 8. Systems and Engineering context Systems Thinking Systems Approaches Business Specialist Engineering Engineering Systems Engineering Systems Science Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 9. Touchpoint: Process & Lifecycle (cf ISO/IEC 15288) Tailoring Innovation Special Processes Investment Enterprise Policy & Resource Management Management Strategy Management Lifecycle Management Enterprise Processes Decision Planning Assessment Control Making Portfolio, Programme & Risk Configuration Information Project Processes Management Management Management Stakeholder Requirements Validation Operation Disposal Definition Requirements Maintenance Verification Transition Analysis Architectural Service Delivery & Integration Design Operational Processes Engineering & Technical Processes Implementation Acquisition Supply Supply Network Processes Concept Development Production Utilisation & Support Retirement Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 10. Touchpoint: Tools & Techniques Functional Analysis System Dynamics Maturity Modelling Requirements Definition Choices & Drivers Requirements Modelling Contextual Analysis Option Synthesis QFD Solution Decision Analysis Problem Analysis Problem Architecting Causal Mapping Formulation Architecture Modelling Use Cases Architecture Epoch Analysis Conceptual Modelling Assurance Experimentation Stakeholder Mapping Methods Specialist Models & Analyses Implementation Planning Big Idea: Verification Solution Portfolio Management Importance Implementation Programme Management of models Validation IP Management Project Management Community Forums Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 11. Other Touchpoints • Competencies and traits – Big picture, breadth, knowledge, communications, leadership, etc • Artefacts – WBS, tasks definitions, risk register/management plan, stakeholder engagement plan, etc • Responsibilities – Requirements management, risk management, stakeholder engagement, etc [see NASA PM SE competency framework] [see Eileen Arnold, “Systems Engineering and Project Management Intersects and Confusion” INCOSE IS12] Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 12. Myths, prejudices and misconceptions • SE is nothing more than common sense • SE is just engineering, we do it as part of Mech Eng, Software Eng, etc • SE is just for big defence and aerospace projects – it doesn‟t apply to me • SE only applies at the early stages of a project (or to requirements) • SE people are „techies/geeks‟ (not pragmatic) • All you really need is PM Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 13. The true value of SE • A way of thinking about complex problems – Scope: Big picture/holistic – Trades: Knowing what‟s important and why, when, etc – Context: Domain, environment, stakeholders and influences – Innovation: Challenging assumptions in a broader context • A way of delivering transformation/enduring change – Levels/focus: Operations, systems & technical, change, supply network – Timescale: Typically through life, enduring capabilities – Outcomes: Address stakeholder concerns and enterprise objectives – Efficiency: Early recognition of problems to avoid expensive rework • A way of bringing together disparate disciplines – Interdisciplinary: Interactions and dependencies – Specialisms: Safety, security, supportability, etc – Integration: Assembling the parts to achieve emergence Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 14. Challenges facing SE • Inter-profession „jurisdictional competition‟ • Market forces driving differentiation • Functional stove-piping in businesses • Local optimisation to achieve key priorities • Unwillingness to „spend to save‟ • Inadequate skills in the marketplace • Underpowered/oversold tools and methods • Focus on „technical‟ rather than „soft‟ issues • Craft status • Lack of clarity on motivation/benefits Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd
- 15. The need for systems engineering… Socio- Technical Multi- Disciplinary Iterative Systemic Incre- Systematic mental …only a whole systems approach can „bring it all together‟ Copyright © 2013 Atkins Ltd