TABLE OF CONTENTS if you're looking for trouble, you came to the right place
Elvis Presley
Systems form an integral part of every aspect of our lives. When most people hear the term 'systems engineering' they think of technical systems, such as an aeroplane, car or train but, in many cases, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Consider the sheer range of systems that can be classified into different types. The following list of types of systems is not intended to be exhaustive but is presented here, rather, to try to encourage the readers to expand the context of systems in their own minds.
Large-scale, organisational-type systems, such as social and political systems.
Living systems, such as the human body and the environment.
Nontangible systems, such as process models and software.
Behavioural systems, such as martial arts, crossing the road, doing the shopping and going about everyday life.
Physical systems, such as vehicles, buildings and home appliances.
Of course, any complete system consists of a number of these systems to become a system of systems. The term 'systems engineering' then, means applying engineering to such systems, but what do we mean by engineering? A simple way to define engineering is by thinking of it as problem solving, therefore, when we talk about systems engineering, we are talking about problem solving with systems at any point in the life cycle. It would seem appropriate, therefore, at this point to try to define 'systems engineering' properly.
