Systems engineering: success in an open mind

One of the most common negative reactions to the term systems engineering is a fear of a deeply technical and complex subject explains Mark Williamson, a trainer with IMechE.

He emphasises however, the importance in thinking about the subject with an open mind and avoiding the "we’ve always done it this way" approach.

The framework of systems engineering provides a baseline for understanding and working with projects in a systematic manner – but is continually evolving to adapt to technological and industry trends. It is this evolution that allows the traditional methods to be less constraining, and a more diverse systems engineering portfolio can exist.

Systems engineering is a vital tool for minimising the impact of additional unexpected work, as it systematically considers all aspects of management, verification and validation. There are many public cases of poor systems thinking application which have led to reputational damages, substantial cost increases and the late delivery of projects. Williamson cites the example of French trains that were too wide for the platforms they were destined to operate on. This led to the requirement of additional work to re-construct the platform, something that he says could have been avoided entirely with the application of a project-wide systems engineering approach.

How IMechE can help your organisation

"Introduction to Systems Engineering" is a course facilitated by Mark Williamson which provides an overview to the key processes of the subject. The processes cover the entire lifespan of a product, from concept through to retirement in a bid to ensure traceability through the life cycle. This way, the product can more effectively line up with stakeholder needs and abide by the specifications of an expected build pattern. Williamson notes that the immediate takeaways are a great overall awareness of the processes and practices, with an emphasis on requirements management.

Meet the Trainer: Mark Williamson

Mark Williamson has been an engineer for over thirty years and has noticed continual evolution of approaches to systems over his career. He notes that while the principles are largely the same, the mechanisms used to turn a need into a functioning product are refined through both experience and systems thinking. As technology improves, Williamson encourages smaller organisations with stricter financial budgets to consider the importance of systems engineering given the ease of access, and drastically reducing costs – as long as they are open-minded and willing to learn.