Systems Engineering
Systems Engineering is an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems (www.incose.org). The methodology considers both the business and the technical needs of all customers and is aimed at providing a quality product that meets the users' needs.
The approach has been developed decades ago and has since further developed into a mature and proven methodology that is used in a variety of industries. For example, the Dutch hi-tech industry and the main clients in the civil engineering industry in the Netherlands have adopted Systems Engineering as their standard way of working.
Systems Engineering in the hi-tech industry
Hi-tech companies have been exploring and using Systems Engineering since the nineties in machine design. They applied the methodology to be able to adapt to highly fluctuating markets. Systems Engineering is also applied to control the supply chain. It is capable of integrating systems delivered by others in the supply chain, to the systems that are developed in-house.
Systems Engineering in the civil engineering industry
Also in the civil engineering industry, there is an increasing interest in Systems Engineering. A consortium consisting of among others ProRail and Rijkswaterstaat have developed the Guideline Systems Engineering (www.leidraadse.nl). This document has been adopted in all civil engineering projects in the past 15 years where Rijkswaterstaat and ProRail were the main clients. Yet, as stated in the Guideline, the sector is “in transition,” meaning that there is still much to be learned.
Also smaller organisations, public and private, show a growing interest in Systems Engineering principles. On the one hand, because of requirements imposed by the supply chain, on the other hand because of the pursuit to better designs, faster.
An introduction to Systems Engineering
An online introduction to Systems Engineering is presented by SEKCT-member Maarten Bonnema and can be found here.