Objectives of the Next Generation of Systems Engineering

Many efforts today are being directed at producing systems that are:

• Better, that is, improving:

o Technical performance (e.g., Technical Performance Measures, Measures Of Effectiveness)

o Management performance (e.g., Estimate At Complete, profit)

o Cross-discipline/cross-system/cross-product integration and interoperability

• Cheaper, i.e., reduce acquisition, manufacturing, operational, and/or lifecycle costs

• Faster, for example by:

o Reducing acquisition and/or manufacturing schedule

o Reducing operational response time; and/or

• Lower Risk, that is, have a higher probability that delivered systems meet stakeholders' intentions in terms of cost, schedule, and performance.

The approach taken for this panel was to present a set of visions about how Systems Engineering will transform the engineering of systems in the next decade through development and application of concepts under current Research and Development. A survey was done of the most significant and innovative systems engineering Initiatives and Technologies covering:

• Processes

•Methods, techniques and standards

•Engineering environments and tools

•Modeling and simulation

Representatives of the most influential Initiatives and Technologies identified were invited to become panelists. Each panelist presented an overview of his/her Initiative or Technology. Panelists engaged in question and answer periods to elicit further understanding. A final capstone session of all panelists assessed the effectiveness of the approaches being taken by academia, government and industry.

The panel was structured along the themes of identifying those Technologies and Initiatives that best demonstrate the potential improvements in Systems Engineering in the following categories, organized for the three-day structure of the panel within the GEIA Conference:

• Day 1 - Working Together: Focused on methods to improve Community SE processes and business integration

• Day 2 - Interoperability: Focused on methods to improve the exchange of engineering information and to create integrated engineering environments

• Day 3 - Modeling and Simulation: Focused on individual tools and aggregate environments for modeling across the life cycle

• Capstone Session: This final session enabled the combined panelists to assess the directions being pursued and determine whether the results will transform SE as desired.