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Engineering Systems Integration
answers to the three questions (scalability, one key thread, and multiple key
threads) are suggestive of patterns that expose weakness in the system
design, architecture, or implementation of specifications, then the objects
may be difficult to integrate.
Besides the differences in activities between iterative thinking and recursive
thinking there is a difference in the type of people that are performing the
work. For building the objects, the focus is on the engineering skills and abilities necessary to be successful at building and testing. Iteration is key. Detecting
patterns may require different skills and capabilities that are neither normally
invoked nor discussed during critical times of “making the object work to pass
a test.” Granted, these particular events are stressful due to the strong dependencies between the constraints of schedule, budget, and performance.
However, it is exactly at these times that the patterns are at their earliest stage
of detection. After each failed or successful test, a review with a senior systems
engineer (who has domain-specific knowledge and work experience) should
be involved in the discussions (however brief). The more senior the systems
engineer, the more likely the team is at detecting patterns that could help with
integration. The percentage contribution to a project from a systems engineer
(based on the number of years of experience) is related exponentially for
requirements analysis, project management, and cost management (as examples of activities performed by systems engineers). All three of these activities
depend on detecting and interpreting patterns and therefore reflect recursive
thinking more than iterative thinking. de Souza (2008) showed that there was
an exponential relation between the contribution to the project of a systems
engineer with respect to the number of years of experience. For requirements
analysis and management skills, a systems engineer with nearly 9 years of
experience contributes four times as much as a systems engineer with 4 years
of experience. However, cost management skills at 13 years of experience contribute twice as much to the project as that of a systems engineer with nearly 9
years of experience. The level of contribution for requirements analysis and
project management skills are seemingly acquired faster than cost management skills, but rising to a high level of proficiency after 14 years of experience.
The acquisition of systems engineering skills as gleaned from a triangulation
methodology compared data from recruitment advertising, review of systems
engineering-juried publications, and surveys of practicing systems engineers
indicated that systems engineering is a skill that is learned through project
work. Nearly all systems engineers have strong domain expertise in an engineering specialty.
The influence on integration work as derived from the sampling of systems
engineering skills indicates the need for a structure of leadership (Honour
2004). Leadership in making the determination as to when thinking changes
should be made to encourage a greater measure of recursive thinking to iterative thinking.
The recursive thinking associated with this part of development and
development in general is most pronounced toward the end of integration
Engineering Systems Integration
answers to the three questions (scalability, one key thread, and multiple key
threads) are suggestive of patterns that expose weakness in the system
design, architecture, or implementation of specifications, then the objects
may be difficult to integrate.
Besides the differences in activities between iterative thinking and recursive
thinking there is a difference in the type of people that are performing the
work. For building the objects, the focus is on the engineering skills and abilities necessary to be successful at building and testing. Iteration is key. Detecting
patterns may require different skills and capabilities that are neither normally
invoked nor discussed during critical times of “making the object work to pass
a test.” Granted, these particular events are stressful due to the strong dependencies between the constraints of schedule, budget, and performance.
However, it is exactly at these times that the patterns are at their earliest stage
of detection. After each failed or successful test, a review with a senior systems
engineer (who has domain-specific knowledge and work experience) should
be involved in the discussions (however brief). The more senior the systems
engineer, the more likely the team is at detecting patterns that could help with
integration. The percentage contribution to a project from a systems engineer
(based on the number of years of experience) is related exponentially for
requirements analysis, project management, and cost management (as examples of activities performed by systems engineers). All three of these activities
depend on detecting and interpreting patterns and therefore reflect recursive
thinking more than iterative thinking. de Souza (2008) showed that there was
an exponential relation between the contribution to the project of a systems
engineer with respect to the number of years of experience. For requirements
analysis and management skills, a systems engineer with nearly 9 years of
experience contributes four times as much as a systems engineer with 4 years
of experience. However, cost management skills at 13 years of experience contribute twice as much to the project as that of a systems engineer with nearly 9
years of experience. The level of contribution for requirements analysis and
project management skills are seemingly acquired faster than cost management skills, but rising to a high level of proficiency after 14 years of experience.
The acquisition of systems engineering skills as gleaned from a triangulation
methodology compared data from recruitment advertising, review of systems
engineering-juried publications, and surveys of practicing systems engineers
indicated that systems engineering is a skill that is learned through project
work. Nearly all systems engineers have strong domain expertise in an engineering specialty.
The influence on integration work as derived from the sampling of systems
engineering skills indicates the need for a structure of leadership (Honour
2004). Leadership in making the determination as to when thinking changes
should be made to encourage a greater measure of recursive thinking to iterative thinking.
The recursive thinking associated with this part of development and
development in general is most pronounced toward the end of integration