Concept
Contenido
Si bien inicialmente la ingeniería de sistemas solo era considerada un método, recientemente se le ha comenzado a considerar una disciplina dentro de la ingeniería. El objetivo de la enseñanza de la ingeniería de sistemas es formalizar diversas metodologías y de esta forma identificar métodos novedosos y oportunidades de investigación de forma similar a lo que se hace en otras ramas de la ingeniería. Como metodología, la ingeniería de sistemas posee una fuerte impronta holística e interdisciplinaria.
Origin and traditional scope
The traditional scope of engineering encompasses the conception, design, development, production, and operation of physical systems. Systems engineering, as initially conceived, falls within that scope. "Systems engineering," in this sense, refers to the set of distinctive concepts, methodologies, organizational structures that have been developed to meet the challenges of engineering effective functional systems of unprecedented dimensions and complexity within time, budget, and other constraints. The Apollo program is an important example of a large and complex project organized around a systems engineering approach.
Evolution towards a broader scope
The use of the term "systems engineer" has evolved over time to encompass a broader and more holistic concept of "systems" and engineering processes. This evolution of the definition has been a topic of constant controversy,[10] and the term continues to apply to both the narrowest and broadest scope.
Traditional systems engineering was seen as a branch of engineering in the classical sense, that is, it applied only to physical systems, such as spacecraft and airplanes. More recently, systems engineering has evolved to take on a broader meaning, especially when humans are viewed as an essential component of a system. Checkland, for example, captures the broader meaning of systems engineering by stating that "engineering" can be read in its general sense: it can design a meeting or a political agreement."[11].
In accordance with the broader scope of systems engineering, the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK-Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge)[12] has defined three types of systems engineering: (1) Product Systems Engineering (PSE) is traditional systems engineering focused on the design of physical systems consisting of hardware and software. (2) Enterprise Systems Engineering (ESE) refers to the view of enterprises, that is, organizations or combinations of organizations, as systems. (3) Service Systems Engineering (SSE) is concerned with the engineering of service systems. Checkland[11] defines a service system as a system that is designed to provide service to another system. Most civil infrastructure systems are service systems.
Holistic approach
Systems engineering focuses on analyzing and specifying customer needs and required functionality early in the development cycle, documenting the requirements, and then continuing with design synthesis and system validation by considering the problem in its completeness, the system life cycle. It is fully understanding all the stakeholders involved in the project. Oliver states that the systems engineering process can be decomposed into.
In Oliver's model, the objective of the Management Process is to organize the technical effort in the life cycle, while the Technical Process includes evaluate available information, define measures of effectiveness, create a behavioral model, create a structure model, perform a commitment analysis, and create a sequential construction and testing plan.[13].
Depending on their application, although there are several models used in the industry, all of them aim to identify the relationship between the various stages mentioned above and incorporate feedback. Examples of such models include the waterfall development model and the VEE model[14].
Interdisciplinary field
System development often requires the contribution of several core technical disciplines.[15] By providing a systems (holistic) view of development, systems engineering helps mold all technical contributors into a unified team effort, forming a structured development process that spans from concept through production and operation and, in some cases, through completion and disposal. In an acquisition, the integrative discipline combines contributions and balances competing decisions affecting cost, schedule and efficiency, while maintaining an acceptable level of risk that spans the entire life cycle of the item.[16].
This perspective is often replicated in educational programs, as systems engineering courses are taught by faculty from other engineering departments, helping to create an interdisciplinary environment.[17][18].
Complexity management
The need for systems engineering arose with the increase in the complexity of systems and projects,[19][20] in turn exponentially increasing the possibility of problems between various components and, therefore, the lack of reliability of the design. Speaking in this context, complexity incorporates not only engineering systems, but also the human logical organization of data. At the same time, a system can become more complex due to an increase in size as well as an increase in the amount of data, variables, or the number of fields that are involved in the design. The International Space Station is an example of a system with such characteristics.
The development of more intelligent control algorithms, the design of microprocessors, and the analysis of environmental systems also fall within the scope of systems engineering. Systems engineering promotes the use of tools and methods to better understand and manage the complexity of systems. Some examples of these tools are:[21].