Grappling with complexity is a challenging task. But that is the world of systems engineering. The problems we face are complex, and they demand complex solutions. Managing that complexity in a way that solves the complex problem while keeping all of the aspects of the problem and potential solutions visible …

I have received many questions lately about managing multiple operational architectures in a single project. Frequently, this question is asked in the context of documenting the current as well as the future state of the architecture. In this article, I will discuss the steps in documenting an As-Is (or current) …

How do you do laundry on a nine-month trip to Mars? Answer: You don’t. At least, scientists have not yet figured out the answer to this challenge—one of space travels interesting problems. A water-based solution is out of the question—water is heavy and expensive to ship, and what water one …

Ever since I’ve been an engineer, technical designers have been dealing with handoff issues. What do I mean by handoff issues? In track and field, when a relay runner hands the baton to another runner in the exchange zone, it can happen that a runner bobbles the handoff. This can …