TABLE OF CONTENTS The origins of systems engineering concepts are indeterminate, although the complexity of weapons systems and other military systems during World War II helped formalize the practice. It would be impossible to approach anything near optimization of today s complex systems without the use of systems engineering. It should be no surprise that an important element of systems engineering is the partitioning of a system into smaller components that are more readily managed. But this leads to the necessity for careful, considered communication between and among engineers working on distinctive subsystems, attention to interdisciplinary issues, and an overall management philosophy (and practice) that fosters good communication and good systems engineering at all phases of a system s life cycle.
The two chapters in this section are designed to define the various facets of systems engineering and systems management and to identify some of the techniques and procedures employed in its practice. D.C.
In This Section:
On the CD-ROM:
Sage, A. P., and W. B. Rouse, Discretionary Uses of Systems Engineering.
Sage, A. P., and W. B. Rouse, Levels of Understanding, Knowledge Management, and Systems Engineering.
Andrew P. Sage, William B. Rouse
In this chapter, we summarize relevant facets of systems engineering support for management that we believe are essential to the definition, development, and deployment of innovative technologies that feature electronics engineering contributions.
Systems engineering generally involves breaking down a large...
