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Foundations in Systems Integration
before by any one individual. As such, engineering is an enabler to bring
technology to people. And systems engineering facilitates lifecycle thinking
to not only make improvements but also to achieve improvements taking into
account lifecycle issues, reducing impacts on stakeholders (including the
environment), and mitigating unintended consequences due to the building,
operations, or disposal of a product or service. The systems engineer fights
with technology and knows its cost; the project manager knows the value of
technology and is fearful of its nature; and the systems integrator knows the
price of technology and provides value in products and services.
Improvements
Many of the improvements due to integration may not be readily apparent at
first glance. Even people working on a project assume many integrations of
technology, often taking for granted the “invisible” work needed to integrate.
Accounting of integration work is mixed with development and testing
activities. Obtaining a clear perspective of what integration is and is not is
blurred from this perspective, as is the general feeling for how much cost is
included in integration efforts. Broadly defining integration as plans, methods, and tools (Hassellbring and Reichert 2004), integration covers a great
percentage of work done on a project. Therefore, improvements due to integration occur naturally throughout the spectrum of project work. Narrowly
defining integration as only that period designated for integration of the system and not for individual system objects is commonplace and widely
accepted for products developed for the U.S. Department of Defense (Haskins
2007). With this thinking about integration (as a stage in which a product or
service goes through), improvements due to integration are quantifiable in
terms of time and money. But broadly speaking, integration is the removal of
all impediments that inhibit system stability. Improvements due to integration then occur as a consequence of method and processes (Giachetti 2004).
Automations and improvements due to integration materialize after developing the inherent properties or traits of an object. These properties and
traits are especially noticeable when they are singled out as essential (either
by requirements or by recognition of significance) during an attempt at integration with an existing object or system. For example, the properties of the
Hubble Telescope mirror were acknowledged early when developing the key
requirements for low weight and good thermal properties. When integrating
a new technology that calls for changing test procedures, problems can arise
when old ideas and plans for testing are assumed to be applicable to new
technologies. Integration looks at processes as well as objects to achieve requisite performances. Particularly careful and considered analysis is required
when upgrading or changing an existing product or service. Upgrades and
changes deserve specific discussions as a great percentage of systems engineering work is focused on improving, sustaining, or extending the life of
Foundations in Systems Integration
before by any one individual. As such, engineering is an enabler to bring
technology to people. And systems engineering facilitates lifecycle thinking
to not only make improvements but also to achieve improvements taking into
account lifecycle issues, reducing impacts on stakeholders (including the
environment), and mitigating unintended consequences due to the building,
operations, or disposal of a product or service. The systems engineer fights
with technology and knows its cost; the project manager knows the value of
technology and is fearful of its nature; and the systems integrator knows the
price of technology and provides value in products and services.
Improvements
Many of the improvements due to integration may not be readily apparent at
first glance. Even people working on a project assume many integrations of
technology, often taking for granted the “invisible” work needed to integrate.
Accounting of integration work is mixed with development and testing
activities. Obtaining a clear perspective of what integration is and is not is
blurred from this perspective, as is the general feeling for how much cost is
included in integration efforts. Broadly defining integration as plans, methods, and tools (Hassellbring and Reichert 2004), integration covers a great
percentage of work done on a project. Therefore, improvements due to integration occur naturally throughout the spectrum of project work. Narrowly
defining integration as only that period designated for integration of the system and not for individual system objects is commonplace and widely
accepted for products developed for the U.S. Department of Defense (Haskins
2007). With this thinking about integration (as a stage in which a product or
service goes through), improvements due to integration are quantifiable in
terms of time and money. But broadly speaking, integration is the removal of
all impediments that inhibit system stability. Improvements due to integration then occur as a consequence of method and processes (Giachetti 2004).
Automations and improvements due to integration materialize after developing the inherent properties or traits of an object. These properties and
traits are especially noticeable when they are singled out as essential (either
by requirements or by recognition of significance) during an attempt at integration with an existing object or system. For example, the properties of the
Hubble Telescope mirror were acknowledged early when developing the key
requirements for low weight and good thermal properties. When integrating
a new technology that calls for changing test procedures, problems can arise
when old ideas and plans for testing are assumed to be applicable to new
technologies. Integration looks at processes as well as objects to achieve requisite performances. Particularly careful and considered analysis is required
when upgrading or changing an existing product or service. Upgrades and
changes deserve specific discussions as a great percentage of systems engineering work is focused on improving, sustaining, or extending the life of