In one of my recent training classes I was asked to define what the term “architecture” means in the practice of system engineering.  While I think I solve the immediate concern of the class, I did not give a very precise answer.  This week I did a bit of research …

Throughout my professional career, I have worked at three different companies, each specializing in systems engineering. Ironically, I have found that even though systems has been the focus of each company, I didn’t find a true “systems” emphasis until I joined Vitech. As the VP of Professional Services (and my …

A highly respected colleague once presented a leading edge paper on model-based conceptual design at a conference. When he finished, a member of the audience – one considered by many to be a thought-leader in model-based systems engineering – stood up. He didn’t ask a question or offer an insight. …

If you hang around those applying model-based systems engineering (MBSE) long enough, you will eventually hear a passionate debate regarding whether a document is a model. For the general public, this sounds about as compelling as the question “is it system engineering (singular) or systems engineering (plural)?” While both may …