Category: Systems Engineering

Understanding the Foundations of Model-Based Systems Engineering

“There is NO SUCH THING as non-model-based engineering” Zane Scott, Vitech Corporation Vice President of Professional Services An interesting quote when you consider systems engineering has spent the last ten years obsessed with the transformation to model-based systems engineering (MBSE). But Zane is exactly right. Engineering has always been, and …

The Fool’s Errand of Reuse in MBSE

Systems engineering emerged in an era of clean-sheet, top-down, stand-alone design where design began at the system level and proceeded through custom manufactured assemblies and electronics. In today’s age of rapid technology infusion cycles, changing needs, and middle-out or bottom-up design, we strive instead to embrace reuse of existing components …

Managing Resources in a Program Model

In the past couple of weeks I have assisted several customers exploring and using the Resource class in the development and analysis of program plans. The basic question posed to me was this: How can I manage and set the use of resources without looking at each individual program activity’s …

Of Zika and Systems Engineers

The recent attention to the Zika virus and its potential global spread illustrates once again that the truly important questions occur at the systems level. Without systems thinking the questions can “hide” from decision makers emerging only later as damaging unintended consequences of decisions made without an adequate systems understanding. …