One thing I have noticed over my years as a practicing principal systems engineer is that when program managers and technical leads can’t tell their story clearly, it’s because they aren’t clear about what they’re trying to accomplish. Let me back up for a moment and introduce myself, since I’m …

By David Long, Vitech President Just like simplicity, not all precision is helpful. Heresy? Not for engineers. Engineers are taught to use the appropriate degree of precision for the circumstance at hand. Unfortunately, as systems engineers, we too often forget those lessons. The quest for precision can lead us astray, …

The Siren, Edward Armitage, 1888 First you will come to the Sirens who enchant all who come near them. If anyone unwarily draws in too close and hears the singing of the Sirens, his wife and children will never welcome him home again . . . There is a great …

By Ron Kratzke, Principal Systems Engineer Over the past year there has been an increased interest in performing “Mission Engineering” during initial concept development. This has come about for many reasons, one of which is an effort to ensure that subsequent operational and system architectures – and the systems developed …