We’re told risk is at the interface. But, the term “interface” conflates many ideas, and we often focus on the wrong problem. To correct that, we should consider three perspectives on connectivity: logical connectivity, physical connectivity, and behavioral connectivity. Allow me to demonstrate with an example of a multi-point message …

While industry is working out the details of model-based systems engineering implementation, I am going to discuss the most basic concept in systems engineering: The System. The word system creates a difficulty since the word can refer to a system of any degree of complexity, be it an eco-system, an …

System of Systems (SoS) — A system of systems (SoS) brings together a set of systems for a task that none of the systems can accomplish on its own. Each constituent system keeps its own management, goals, and resources while coordinating within the SoS and adapting to meet SoS goals. …

As systems engineers, we frequently speak of seeing the big picture, taking the systems perspective, and holism. We talk about using multiple viewpoints to study problem and solution. We seek a lifecycle perspective to understand not only design but also production, operation, maintenance, retirement, and disposal. In fact, it is …