Several years ago, there was an intriguing debate in the systems community. On one side was the majority of the community, emphasizing “systems engineering.” On the other side – almost in isolation – was MIT countering that it’s about the “engineering of systems.” At the time, I thought it was purely …

In my “other job” as an elected representative for my county, I am often called upon to speak to community organizations and business groups, and to attend diverse events throughout my district and county. Just about any time I am present in a gathering of citizens, the conversation turns to …

Just as medieval knights had need of the right tool at the right time—a longsword? a lance? a dagger?—we systems engineers have a similar challenge. But the unsavory foe that we do battle with is not another knight carrying a mace or throwing flames, but the scourge of disorder, lack …

The buzz in systems engineering today is all around supporting digital transformation. The focus has been centered on creating an “authoritative source of truth” and connecting the engineering lifecycle. As we accomplish system design and development, particularly in the model-based systems engineering (MBSE) environment, we are supporting the concept and …