What is Systems Engineering?

Systems engineering is a field of engineering that focuses on the design, development, and management of complex projects. Because it is involved in large and complex engineering projects, systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field that incorporates numerous areas of modelling, analysis, logistics, coordination, and control. Systems engineering is involved in both the conceptual and technical aspects of systems organisation, including the human-centred disciplines of control engineering, organisational studies, project management, and industrial engineering. Some examples of projects with a large scope that require systems engineering include bridge building, aircraft design, computer chip design, and software development.

The Disciplines of Systems of Engineering

Systems engineering is first and foremost an interdisciplinary endeavour, involving the contribution of a number of technical disciplines. Large projects need to have a holistic view from beginning to end, from the initial stages of design and development through to the stage of production and the end stage of termination. Systems engineering is necessary for the management of complexity, using analysis, architecture, modelling, and statistics to organise large projects and manage their production regimes. Modelling and simulation in particular are essential tools in any systems engineering project, and help to define and manage different areas of a project and validate assumptions and interactions.

Models play a vital role in systems engineering, as an abstracted version of reality that can help to more clearly define a situation. Mathematical models and diagrams can provide estimates and validate assumptions prior to production, and model relationships between different areas of a system. Some of the related fields of systems engineering include cognitive systems engineering, control engineering, interface design, industrial engineering, performance engineering, proposal engineering, safety engineering, security engineering, and program management. Systems engineering is integral to the success of numerous large and complex projects in the 21st century, and plays a vital role in the modern world.