Systems Engineering

Engineering embraces the design, development, production and operation of technology that can be touched and used.

Systems Engineering is part of this tradition, developed to meet the particular challenges associated with large or complex functional systems of an interdisciplinary nature. It overlaps technical and human orientated disciplines, ensuring all likely aspects of a project are considered and integrated into a whole.

The development of the term 'system' into 'systems' has been sought since the late 1950's to reflect a team approach, involving both experienced generalists (who are able to maintain a broad outlook) and specialists of different disciplines.

Capability Engineering

Capability Engineering is Systems Engineering applied to Business Services / Organisational Operations and considers the impact of supporting ICT services and/or other Business Services. Typically the supporting services are abstracted away such that 'how' they are delivered is not of concern, only 'what' they deliver and 'when'. This makes it suitable for use on Capability Programmes.

Anatomy of a business service:

"Entities (Organisations/People) consume (Business) Services that result from Processes (Business Activity) executed by Entities (People) that require Resources / other (Business or ICT) Services."

System Engineering

System Engineering refers in this context, to specialised disciplines, such as to the development, production and operation of Information Communication Technology (applications, infrastructure and communications network). This is suitable for use on projects delivering ICT assets that can be used independantly or constituted into an ICT service.

System of Systems Engineering

System of Systems Engineering is more than Systems Engineering. It is typically applied to evolving programmes, where there is some uncertainty in the requirements and constituent systems. This makes it suitable for ICT delivery programmes, which seek to optimise ICT services created from various interacting legacy and new systems and/or commoditised component services.

Anatomy of a service:

"Entities (People) consume (ICT) Services that result from Processes (Technical Functions) executed by Entities (Technology) that require Resources / other (ICT) Services."

Competencies

The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), formed in 1995, offers guidance on the engineering skills, competencies and experience required to deal with different levels of complex or difficult projects.