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Foundations in Systems Integration
To be effective as theoretical constructs, some means of determining what
is most widely used and found to be effective within a discipline or field is
described as best practices (or more succinctly stated, those practices that
have achieved a modicum of success, but without knowing why they were
successful). Best practices are the heuristics and methods used widely in the
discipline or field that have been proven (empirically or anecdotally) to provide some degree of acceptability by their practitioners. Often, a hallmark of
acceptability is the assumed repeatability of the practice. Other times, the
practice is presumed to result in losses that are acceptable to the stakeholders. Some of the best practices in acquisition for products and services provided through systems engineering are modularity, use of commercially
supported procedures and methods, performance-based standards, technology updates and insertions that support lifecycle cost affordability, and the
funding pilot programs to demonstrate concept feasibility (United States
Department of Defense 2010). In some instances, commercial best practices
from one industry are incompatible with commercial best practices from
other industries and often both incompatible with military best practices
(Pennock et al. 2007). Even like-kind industries may have incompatibilities.
Often, only a subset of best practices is widely appropriate, suggesting that a
more general practice is apropos. For systems integration, we must take great
care when considering the broad implications of best practices.
On a procedural level, the same U.S. Department of Defense acquisition
guidebook suggests incorporating best commercial practices (evaluation of
commercial off-the-shelf equipment, lifecycle planning, fostering strong
relationships with vendors and subcontractors, and protection of intellectual
property rights), collaborative team environments, modeling and simulation,
and electronic business solutions. Best practices now extend beyond a few
routines that were found to be useful on some projects, to comprehensive
studies that are reflected in the U.S. Department of Defense directives that
are mandated by law for all systems engineering efforts: using DoD standard data and following data administrative policies, and assessing information operations risks.
Best practices should be based on principles and standards. The project
manager, charged with using systems engineering to deliver a product or
service, must grapple with either using standardized agreements, parts, processes, and methods or building and tailoring their own set of principles and
project standards. Locally contrived standards are a natural consequence of
new technologies and new approaches to design and architecture. Usually
the projects are a mix of work that include compliance with standards in many,
but not all instances of work. Recognized international and national standards
usually represent voluntary acceptance and wide commercial market adoption, but the genesis of new standards are often stimulated by project managers
that move outside of the standards to innovate. The project managers and
systems engineers look to best practices based on systems engineering
worldwide. Systems engineering knows no geopolitical or disciplinary borders.
Foundations in Systems Integration
To be effective as theoretical constructs, some means of determining what
is most widely used and found to be effective within a discipline or field is
described as best practices (or more succinctly stated, those practices that
have achieved a modicum of success, but without knowing why they were
successful). Best practices are the heuristics and methods used widely in the
discipline or field that have been proven (empirically or anecdotally) to provide some degree of acceptability by their practitioners. Often, a hallmark of
acceptability is the assumed repeatability of the practice. Other times, the
practice is presumed to result in losses that are acceptable to the stakeholders. Some of the best practices in acquisition for products and services provided through systems engineering are modularity, use of commercially
supported procedures and methods, performance-based standards, technology updates and insertions that support lifecycle cost affordability, and the
funding pilot programs to demonstrate concept feasibility (United States
Department of Defense 2010). In some instances, commercial best practices
from one industry are incompatible with commercial best practices from
other industries and often both incompatible with military best practices
(Pennock et al. 2007). Even like-kind industries may have incompatibilities.
Often, only a subset of best practices is widely appropriate, suggesting that a
more general practice is apropos. For systems integration, we must take great
care when considering the broad implications of best practices.
On a procedural level, the same U.S. Department of Defense acquisition
guidebook suggests incorporating best commercial practices (evaluation of
commercial off-the-shelf equipment, lifecycle planning, fostering strong
relationships with vendors and subcontractors, and protection of intellectual
property rights), collaborative team environments, modeling and simulation,
and electronic business solutions. Best practices now extend beyond a few
routines that were found to be useful on some projects, to comprehensive
studies that are reflected in the U.S. Department of Defense directives that
are mandated by law for all systems engineering efforts: using DoD standard data and following data administrative policies, and assessing information operations risks.
Best practices should be based on principles and standards. The project
manager, charged with using systems engineering to deliver a product or
service, must grapple with either using standardized agreements, parts, processes, and methods or building and tailoring their own set of principles and
project standards. Locally contrived standards are a natural consequence of
new technologies and new approaches to design and architecture. Usually
the projects are a mix of work that include compliance with standards in many,
but not all instances of work. Recognized international and national standards
usually represent voluntary acceptance and wide commercial market adoption, but the genesis of new standards are often stimulated by project managers
that move outside of the standards to innovate. The project managers and
systems engineers look to best practices based on systems engineering
worldwide. Systems engineering knows no geopolitical or disciplinary borders.