Assessing the interest for systems engineering positions and other engineering positions' required capacity for engineering systems thinking (CEST)

With a renewed global focus on anti-submarine warfare (ASW), the United States Navy will increasingly rely on unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) technology to serve as a cost-effective force multiplier. Modern UUV development necessitates a uniquely constrained, iterative approach to the traditional submarine design spiral. Considering a broad spectrum of customer-generated requirements, the UUV conceptual design process applies the best practices of naval architecture, marine engineering, ocean engineering, systems engineering, and submersible design. This paper provides an assessment of the traditional approach to the UUV design and development process. Specifically, this paper analyzes the design philosophy for modern UUVs, provides a design framework for the UUV conceptual design process, and details specific recommendations to encourage innovation in the subsea realm.

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Systems Engineering, Data Analytics, and Systems Thinking

Systems Engineering in the Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽

10.1002/9781119513957.ch1 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Ron S. Kenett ◽

Robert S. Swarz ◽

Avigdor Zonnenshain

Keyword(s):

Systems Thinking ◽

Systems Engineering ◽

Data Analytics ◽

Engineering Data

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Integration-In-Totality: The 7th System Safety Principle Based on Systems Thinking in Aerospace Safety

Aerospace ◽

10.3390/aerospace7100149 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (10) ◽

pp. 149

Author(s):

Johney Thomas ◽

Antonio Davis ◽

Mathews P. Samuel

Keyword(s):

Systems Thinking ◽

Vertical Integration ◽

Systems Engineering ◽

Safety Concept ◽

Horizontal Integration ◽

Continuum Approach ◽

System Safety ◽

Seven Principles ◽

And Performance ◽

Strategic Quality Management

Safety is of paramount concern in aerospace and aviation. Safety has evolved over the years, from the technical era to the human-factors era and organizational era, and finally to the present era of systems-thinking. Building upon three foundational concepts of systems-thinking, a new safety concept called “integration-in-totality principle” is propounded in this article as part of a “seven-principles-framework of system safety”, to act as an integrated framework to visualize and model system safety. The integration-in-totality principle concept addresses the need to have a holistic ‘vertical and horizontal integration’, which is a key tenet of systems thinking. The integration-in-totality principle is illustrated and elucidated with the help of a simple “Rubik’s cube model of integration-in-totality principle” with three orthogonal axes, the ‘axis of perspective’ of vertical integration, and the two ‘axes of perception and performance’ of horizontal integration. Safety analysis along the three axes with a ‘bidirectional synthesis’ and ‘continuum approach’ is further elaborated with relevant case studies, one among them related to the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft twin disasters. Safety is directly linked to quality, reliability and risk, through a self-reinforcing reflexive paradigm, and airworthiness assurance is the process through which safety concepts are embedded in a multidisciplinary aviation environment where the system of systems is seamlessly operating. The article explains how the system safety principle of integration-in-totality is related to reliability and airworthiness of an aerospace system with the help of the ‘V-model of systems engineering’. The article also establishes the linkage between integration-in-totality principle and strategic quality management, thus bridging the gap between two parallel fields of knowledge.

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What is Systems Thinking? Expert Perspectives from the WPI Systems Thinking Colloquium of 2 October 2019

Systems ◽

10.3390/systems8010006 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 6 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Matthew Amissah ◽

Thomas Gannon ◽

Jamie Monat

Keyword(s):

Systems Thinking ◽

Systems Engineering ◽

Real World ◽

Systems Science ◽

Systems Dynamics ◽

Research And Practice ◽

Fundamental Notion ◽

Real World Problems

Systems thinking is an approach to reasoning and treatment of real-world problems based on the fundamental notion of ‘system.’ System here refers to a purposeful assembly of components. Thus, systems thinking is aimed at understanding relationships between components and their overall impact on system outcomes (i.e., intended and unintended) and how a system similarly fits in the broader context of its environment. There are currently several distinct flavors of systems thinking, both in practice and scholarship; most notably in the disciplines of systems science, systems engineering, and systems dynamics. Each of these, while similar in purpose, has a distinct history and a rich set of methods and tools for various application contexts. The WPI Systems Thinking Colloquium held on 2 October 2019 was aimed at exploring the diversity of perspectives on systems thinking from these disciplines. The colloquium brought together world-renowned experts from both industry and academia to share insights from their research and practice. This paper offers a compilation of summaries of the presentations given.

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