Do you ever wonder how today’s complex systems are built? From intensive commercial software applications to mammoth military aircraft carriers, it goes without saying that these systems were brought to life by a large network of multidisciplinary teams. But, to efficiently design such complex systems, these teams must be united by a shared vision. This unifying vision is a concept known as systems engineering.
Systems engineering is broadly considered an art, a profession, and an approach. It first came to recognition from its roots in the aerospace and defense industries, where complex systems like spacecraft, weapons, communications, and military vehicles were developed. Beginning with these successes, it has since been applied to many other industries, ranging from automobiles, telecommunications, satellites, healthcare, energy, and more.
While systems engineering is people-oriented, it still requires a mix of hard and soft skills encompassing managerial, technical, and analytical skills - all of which are necessary for everything from coordinating project schedules to communicating technical concepts with non-technical stakeholders.
In a formal definition, NASA defines systems engineering as “a methodical, multidisciplinary approach for the design, realization, technical management, operations, and retirement of a system.” (1) In other words, systems engineering enables teams and organizations to overcome the challenges of complex systems by using a holistic perspective throughout the development process.
This holistic perspective emphasizes the need to consider all of the system elements, from external and internal, hardware and software, and even processes and people, while simultaneously looking at how each interacts with each other within a larger context. With this approach, engineers can
Ultimately, systems engineers aim to optimize the overall system across three significant factors: cost, performance, and schedule.
Organizations can significantly reduce risks, lower costs, and enhance overall efficiency by implementing systems engineering principles.
One of systems engineering's primary advantages is its ability to mitigate risks early in the development process. Conducting thorough requirements analysis, modeling, and simulation techniques can identify and resolve potential issues before they escalate into costly problems. Systems engineering also promotes lifecycle cost analysis, helping organizations make informed decisions that minimize expenses while maximizing long-term value. By addressing risks proactively, companies avoid costly redesigns, delays, and project failures.
Effective communication among stakeholders is crucial for project success. Systems engineering facilitates clear and consistent communication by providing structured documentation, standardized processes, and comprehensive models that ensure all parties have a shared understanding of project objectives and requirements. This collaborative approach reduces misunderstandings, aligns expectations, and enhances decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.
Systems engineering improves efficiency by streamlining development processes and ensuring that all system components are optimized for performance and interoperability. It fosters a holistic perspective, allowing teams to identify redundancies, eliminate inefficiencies, and implement best practices that enhance productivity. Additionally, systems engineering supports continuous monitoring and validation, ensuring the final product meets quality standards and user needs.
Systems engineering helps organizations control complex projects more effectively, reduce uncertainties, and deliver high-quality solutions more efficiently. As industries continue to evolve, systems engineering adoption will remain a critical factor in driving innovation and success.
Systems engineers design, integrate, and manage complex systems. Their five main jobs are requirements analysis, system design, integration and testing, project management, and documentation.
Systems engineers gather and analyze the needs and requirements of stakeholders to understand the desired functionality, performance, constraints, and other factors of the future system. This information is then turned into requirements and specifications for the system under development.
Example of a Requirements Document
Related Page: The Ultimate Guide to Requirements Management
Systems engineers build a working knowledge of the domain they’re working in, using it to build models that represent current and future configurations of the system they are developing. These models can then be leveraged to create multiple potential solutions that can be analyzed for future requirements.
Model Example: Asset Diagram in Innoslate
Related Page: The Ultimate Guide to Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
Systems engineers manage the integration of every subsystem and component, ensuring that everything works together as intended. This includes managing the flow of information and the different interfaces involved in the system. They can also design and implement testing procedures that are then used to verify and validate the system under development.
Systems engineers can also serve in a “project manager” capacity, where they coordinate the system lifecycle development process while managing timelines, costs, and resources. In this role, systems engineers must minimize disruptions and mitigate project risks, such as scheduling the usage of test facilities ahead of time and ensuring project milestones are achieved.
Related Blog: Innoslate Improves Project Management
Systems engineers must build and maintain a documentation database throughout the system development process, including elements such as design, analysis, testing, and implementation. These documents can include project plans, registers of requirements and risks, simulation and testing analysis, and other deliverables.
As they maintain this information, systems engineers are well-suited to communicate technical information to stakeholders, whether technical or non-technical, to ensure a clear understanding of the system throughout the different phases of development.
Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) has recently become more popular, building on traditional systems engineering concepts. Where traditional systems engineering mainly involves text-based documentation to describe systems, MBSE instead relies on models to represent and simulate systems.
The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) defines it as “the formalized application of modeling to support system requirements, design, analysis, verification and validation activities beginning in the conceptual design phase and continuing throughout development and later life cycle phases.” (4)
From Documents to Models
As mentioned above, the main difference between traditional systems engineering and MBSE is the shift from document-based representations of systems to model-based representations. Engineers have physical reports, prototypes, and drawings to represent the system under development in a document-based system design process.
From Models to Data
Engineers can leverage digital models to create virtual representations of systems during their development in a model-based system design process. When combined with powerful simulation software, digital models can enable easier, faster, and more efficient designs, analysis, and testing.
Data-driven engineering models improve communication among team members. Unlike traditional text documents, digital models can be shared and annotated easily across teams. Furthermore, digital models reduce the need for costly physical prototypes, leveraging powerful software simulation tools to visualize and represent systems in their environment.
Software tool integrations within system models enable advanced capabilities. These capabilities allow engineers to quickly perform simulation, optimization, and analysis, which can then be used to efficiently evaluate system performance and behavior. These technologies and techniques make MBSE a more dynamic and data-driven approach to system design.
| Feature | Systems Engineering | MBSE | Data-Driven Engineering (DDE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Document-based | Model-based | Data-driven |
| Focus | Process & requirements | Digital modeling & simulation | Real-time data & analytics |
| Tools Used | Documents, spreadsheets | SysML, UML, Innoslate, Cameo | AI, ML, IoT, Big Data tools |
| Decision Basis | Expert knowledge | Digital models & simulations | Real-world & real-time data |
The aerospace industry relies heavily on systems engineers to manage the complexity of designing, developing, and maintaining aircraft, spacecraft, and defense systems. These engineers ensure that all subsystems propulsion, avionics, communication, and structural components—work together seamlessly to meet mission requirements.
They use Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approaches, like those supported by Innoslate, to create digital models, conduct simulations, and analyze system performance throughout the lifecycle. Systems engineers also play a crucial role in
NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, which operated from 1981 to 2011, oversaw 135 missions that helped build the International Space Station (ISS) (2), repair satellites, and perform cutting-edge research in space. As the ISS involved the efforts of multiple nations and languages, systems engineers played a critical role in ensuring everything worked properly to support humanity's advancement and future.
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Automotive manufacturers are always pushing the boundaries of vehicle design and developing innovative features to capture competitive market share. Systems engineers help design increasingly fuel-efficient engines, integrate complex controls and electronics, and develop useful safety and quality-of-life consumer features, such as various driving assist tools, child safety locks, and interactive entertainment displays.
Related Webinar Recap: ISO 26262 Compliance With Innoslate
Medical devices are designed and optimized by teams that include systems engineers. These teams take great care to comply with regulatory requirements and standards such as ISO 13485 (3). The devices then improve patient health outcomes or contribute to improved healthcare processes.
Related Blog: ISO 13485 Compliance With Innoslate
Industrial Systems Engineers are a similar branch of engineering that stems from the broader field of systems engineering. They use the same principles but with a greater focus and application to industrial systems. These industrial systems include everything concerning production, manufacturing, supply chains, and logistics. Beyond manufacturing equipment and machinery, industrial systems engineers must also consider the people and processes that make up the broader, interconnected, and operational networks that must be managed.
In summary, systems engineering provides the foundation, MBSE enhances it with digital modeling, and data-driven engineering pushes the boundaries with real-time data and analytics.
Read Next: Improve Your Systems Engineering Project with Innoslate
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