A very short and compact introduction to the great field of Systems (Design and) Engineering. I gave this presentation on September 7th at the Opening of the Industry Academy at University College of Southeast Norway, in Kongsberg, Norway.

1. 9/7/2017 1
Systems Engineering in 45 minutes
Maarten Bonnema
Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema

2. Who is presenting?
Maarten Bonnema (Dutch)
• With NISE and USN/HBV/HiBu since 2011
• Multidisciplinary Systems Design
• Systems Engineering in Electric Mobility
• Course owner Electric and Hybrid Vehicle
System Design
• Work experience as Systems Engineer at ASML
• Background:
– Electrical Engineering (UT)
– Post-master Design program (TUDelft)
– PhD on Systems Architecting (UT)
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 2
• Home institution:

3. Design versus Analysis
ANALYSIS
• Studying an existing situation/thing/effect
• In-depth
• Creating knowledge
• Single “correct” answer
• Descartian
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 3
DESIGN
• Creating something new
• Big picture
• Creating knowledge
• Many possible “correct” answers
• Holistic
Truths that are attained by reason are
broken down into elements that intuition
can grasp, which, through a purely
deductive process, will result in clear
truths about reality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalism
Holism (from Greek ὅλος
holos "all, whole, entire") is the
idea that systems (physical,
biological, hemical, social,
economic, mental, linguistic,
etc.) and their properties
should be viewed as wholes,
not just as a collection of parts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holism

4. How Design is often viewed
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 4
Problem Design
Complete
description of
the Solution

5. Questions that pop up immediately
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 5
• What is the problem?
– And how do I learn more about it?
– Is this the *real* problem, or a symptom
• What space do I have:
– To do the design
– For the solution
• Who has the need for a solution to this
problem?
• What will be the impact of the solution
• Etc.
Interestingly, development projects often start
from the solution…
SHOULD

6. Products versus Systems
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 6
Context
Product
Context
System

7. Products versus Systems
in words
Products
• Mostly one-way influence
• Few users/stakeholders
• Optimization
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 7
Systems
• Two-way influence
• Multiple users
• Multiple stakeholders
• Trade-offs
• Large with multiple subsystems
• Multiple domains

8. Consequences
• We don’t create products, but systems
• These systems present an increasing impact
on the environment, and vice versa
• Most engineers are educated in creating
products
• Resulting in various problems and
unintended consequences*.
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 8
What happened?
• A fridge contains environmentally friendly
coolants that don’t work below 7 °C.
=> advice: put a heater next to it.
• Frequent use of autopilot improves
consistency, comfort, energy use.
But decreases the ability to handle non-
normal situations. [N.Carr, 201311]
*: http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/UnintendedConsequences.html

9. 9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 9
• We are now the new product
definition team of an aircraft
manufacturer
Ways of looking at an airplane:
• Components:
– Engine(s)
– …
Ways of looking at an airplane:
• Aspects:
– what discerns this new
plane-type from another
– why would
KLM/SAS/Lufthansa/… buy
this type instead of
another
– …
A Small Exercise…
There are also functions, but these are mostly equal for all planes

10. Experiences?
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 10

11. 9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 11
System perspective Separate the what and
how-much from the how
Focus on interfaces
(in contrast to focus on
components)
This brings us to the Core of Systems Engineering
Uncertain and incomplete
information versus far-
reaching decisions
Multi-disciplinarity
Communication

12. System Perspective
• Put system central, instead of
focussing on details
• Zoom out to see the whole
• Zoom in on crucial issues only
• Holistic thinking
• Big picture; also time-wise
• Pitfall: stay too general or superficial.
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 12
• Tool: Nine window diagram (from TRIZ)
system of
interest
developing
organization
architect
super
system
customer
organization
subsystems
past system
of interest
past super
system
past
subsystems
past current future
future system
of interest
future super
system
future
subsystems
based on TRIZ
knowledge innovation
system of
interest
developing
organization
architect
super
system
customer
organization
subsystems
system of
interest
developing
organization
architect
Picture credit: Gerrit Muller www.gaudisite.nl

13. Example 9-window diagram
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(Hybrid) Electric
Vehicle
Motor, air
conditioning, …
Personal Mobility,
including charging
stations
Internal Combustion
Engine Vehicle
Engine, drive train,
fuel tank, …
Personal Mobility,
including fuel services
Autonomous Electric
Vehicle
In car services,
mobility service
Future societal
mobility
Time
Pers-
pective

14. System perspective is a layered concept
• One person’s system is another person’s
subsystem
• Implication: Systems Engineering can be
applied on different levels:
– System
– Subsystem
– Assembly
– And:
• Supersystem
• Society
– …
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 14
Zooming in
Zooming out
Picture credit: Alberto Sols, USN

15. Separate the What and How much from the How
• “What” and “How much” relate to the
problem domain/the need
• “How” relates to the solution domain
• Instead of a linear flow, there is iteration
and feedback involved
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Functional
Performance/
Quantification
Physical
Picture from: Bonnema, G. M., K. T. Veenvliet and J. F. Broenink
(2016). Systems Design and Engineering: facilitating
multidisciplinary development projects. Boca Raton, FL, CRC
Press.

16. Interfaces:
There are two types of systems engineers…
… Those that look at the interfaces
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 16
… And amateurs
Picture from: Bonnema, G. M., K. T. Veenvliet and J. F. Broenink
(2016). Systems Design and Engineering: facilitating
multidisciplinary development projects. Boca Raton, FL, CRC
Press.

17. Failures often occur at the interfaces
Interfaces are often not high on the attention
list of developers.
• Interfaces between tools:
Airbus 380: could not be built because the
cables were too short
• Interfaces between people and domains
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 17
… and failures of configuration
management and change control.[64][65] The
German and Spanish Airbus facilities
continued to use CATIA version 4, while
British and French sites migrated to
version 5.[66] This caused overall
configuration management problems, at
least in part because wire harnesses
manufactured using aluminium rather than
copper conductors necessitated special
design rules including non-standard
dimensions and bend radii; these were not
easily transferred between versions of the
software.[67]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A380#Pro
duction_and_delivery_delays

18. Those … Interfaces
• Between Organizations…
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 18
Photo: Scania

19. How to avoid Interface problems?
• Address them explicitly
• Make people responsible for the system
coherence
• Draw the system structure
• Look at it from a functional and from a
physical point of view
• Agree on the specifications for the
interfaces
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Function
1
Interface
F1 -> F2
Function
2
Interface
F3 -> F1
Function
3
Function
4
Interface
F4 -> F5
Function
5
Function
6
N2 diagram:
• Helps to address all possible Interfaces
• Outputs on row
• Inputs in colums
• Use to define modules/subsystems

20. Uncertain and Incomplete Information
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 20
• Donald Rumsfield said it all:
“[T]here are known knowns; there are things
we know we know.
We also know there are known unknowns;
that is to say we know there are some
things we do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns –
there are things we do not know we don't
know.”
—United States Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_are_known_knowns
Picture from: Bonnema, G. M., K. T. Veenvliet and J. F. Broenink
(2016). Systems Design and Engineering: facilitating
multidisciplinary development projects. Boca Raton, FL, CRC
Press.

21. Uncertain and Incomplete Information – How to deal with it?
• Systems thinking
• Reason about the system
• Scenario creation => focus on
exceptions/bad weather behavior
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 21
Use the Twelve Thinking Tracks:
1. Dynamic Thinking
2. Feedback Thinking
3. Specific-Generic Thinking
4. Operational Thinking
5. Scales Thinking
6. Scientific Thinking
7. Decomposition-Composition Thinking
8. Hierarchical Thinking
9. Organizational Thinking
10. Life-Cycle Thinking (Product life-cycle,
Resource life-cycle, Project life-cycle)
11. Safety Thinking
12. Risk Thinking
Bonnema, Gerrit Maarten and Broenink, Jan F. (2016) Thinking Tracks for
Multidisciplinary System Design. Systems, 4 (4). p. 36. ISSN 2079-8954
www.tinyurl.com/sde-book

22. 9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 22
System perspective Separate the what and
how-much from the how
Focus on interfaces
(in contrast to focus on
components)
Where are we now w.r.t. the Core of Systems Engineering
Uncertain and incomplete
information versus far-
reaching decisions
Multi-disciplinarity
Communication

23. Multidisciplinarity
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 23
• Mechanical engineers use CAD systems
• Software engineers use UML and class
diagrams
• Electrical engineers use circuit
schematics
• Ergonomists use percentiles and mock-
ups
etc
• But how to make sure we get ONE
system?
Successful
Systems
Mechanical
Engineering
Electrical
Engineering
Software
Engineering
Industrial
Design
Engineering
…
System
Design &
Engineering
An enormous
amount of
information
and data

24. Communication
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Shannon, C. E. and W. Weaver (1949). The Mathematical Theory of Communication. Urbana, IL, University of Illinois Press.
Schramm, W. (1954). The Process and Effects of Mass Communication. Urbana, IL, University of Illinois Press.
Clark, H. H. and S. E. Brennan (1991). Grounding in communication. Perspectives on socially shared cognition. L. B. Resnick, J. M.
Levine and J. S. D. Teasley. Washington DC, American Psychological Association.

25. Back to the Airplane Case – how to move on?
• Investigate the problem domain:
– What is the need for an extra type of
plane in our line-up?
– What is the competition doing?
– What is the market pull?
– What are long-term developments?
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 25
• Investigate the solution domain:
– What new technologies have come up
that might improve our planes?
– What are strengths and weaknesses of
our current products?
– Describe the plane in three dimensions:
• Functional (what does it do)
• Physical (how does it do it)
• Quantification (how much)

26. Thinking pattern of a Systems Engineer/Architect
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 26
Picture credit: Gerrit Muller www.gaudisite.nl Picture from: Bonnema, G. M., K. T. Veenvliet and J. F. Broenink
(2016). Systems Design and Engineering: facilitating
multidisciplinary development projects. Boca Raton, FL, CRC
Press.

27. This all may sound somewhat chaotic
– Some chaos is inevitable
– A moderate level of chaos can be very
inspiring
In essence, SE is about managing this chaos
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• Vee model
– Requirements
– Decomposition – Composition
• Trade-offs
• Various schemes and diagrams
• Model Based Systems Engineering

28. Vee-model
9/7/2017 Systems Engineering in 45 minutes - (c) G.Maarten Bonnema 28
Shows:
• Requirements definition process
• Decomposition
• Composition (often called Integration)
• Link between these processes
Notes:
1. starting from requirements may result in
a verified result, but not validated.
2. Investigating and defining the problem at
hand constitutes a considerable part of
the SE effort
3. Another considerable part is integration:
putting it back together…
Customer
wish
Validated
system

29. Trade-offs
• In designing systems, answers tend to be
not clear-cut
• Very dissimilar properties have to be
compared
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http://beingperfectlyhonest.blogspot.nl/2010/09/dare-to-not-compare.html

30. Various Useful Schemes and Diagrams
• To enable communication
• Create knowledge by looking at the system
under design from different angles
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Diagram
• N2 diagram
• Functional Block
Diagram
• State Transition
Diagram
• System Budgets
• A3 Architecture
Overviews
Shows
Interfaces
Functions and flow
(material, information,
energy)
Different modes of
operation
Quantification of
performance
Bundles various views
(Functional, Physical,
Quantification)

31. Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
• Transition from document-based to model-
based
• David Long (CEO Vitech corporation):
– “Models are inherent to the way engineers
think, reason, and communicate – and that
includes systems engineers.”
– “Fundamentally, MBSE is about making
system-descriptive and analytical models
explicit, coherent, and consistent. It is a
natural evolution from low-fidelity
representations in documents to higher-
fidelity, richer representations.“
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Thomas Haduch, Director of Systems Engineering, RDECOM,
http://armytechnology.armylive.dodlive.mil/index.php/2015/07/01/15-3/

32. To Conclude
• Systems Engineering is a *very* broad
discipline
• While large portion of the SE Body of
Knowledge relies on common sense,
training *is* necessary
• NISE offers a thorough Master Program in
Systems Engineering
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Any comments and/or
questions?