Despite a wealth of system architecture frameworks and methodologies available, approaches to evaluate the robustness and resiliency of architectures for complex systems or systems of systems are few in number. As a result, system architects may turn to graph‐theoretic methods to assess architecture robustness and vulnerability to cascading failure. Here, we explore the application of such methods

Despite many uncertainties, industrial fields such as energy (eg, oil rigs), utilities infrastructure (eg, telecommunications), space systems, transportation systems, construction, and manufacturing make large and mostly irreversible investments in systems with potentially long life cycles. The life cycle value of such systems may be increased significantly by designing in the flexibility to make future

How should organizations approach the evaluation of system complexity at the early stages of system design in order to inform decision making? Since system complexity can be understood and approached in several different ways, such evaluation is challenging. In this study, we define the term “system complexity factors” to refer to a range of different aspects of system complexity that may contribute

Given that model‐based systems engineering (MBSE) captures the structure and behavior of an engineered system in an overarching system model, MBSE appears to be a promising approach to managing large infrastructure projects (LIPs). However, it is not apparent how to most appropriately organize the associated system model—and hence the infrastructure project itself. Furthermore, MBSE may today not be

As engineers retire from practice, they must transfer their expertise to new recruits. Typically, this is accomplished using decision‐support systems that communicate precise probabilities. However, Fuzzy‐Trace Theory (FTT) predicts that the most experts prefer to rely on “gist” representations of risk over “verbatim” representations. We conducted a survey of 41 NASA employees (whose mathematical abilities

Dynamic and real‐time adaptive configuration of Cyber‐Physical Systems (CPSs) results in increased complexity due to a variety of heterogeneous and interdependent variables and creates unique challenges. For example, (a) Emergent Behavior: How do we ensure that system constituents dynamically and adaptively collaborate to produce a consistent repeatable functionality while supporting the capability

The development of a concept for a system is a key step toward creating the system's architecture. Most previous concept development approaches focus on the procedures for the conceptual design activity—the sequence of activities and tasks. Our work is motivated by the desire to elaborate in details the notional content of a system concept and to provide the means of encoding and analyzing it in a

Increasing system complexity has provided the impetus to develop new and novel systems engineering methodologies. One of these methodologies is set‐based design (SBD), a concurrent design methodology well suited for complex systems subject to significant uncertainty. Since the 1990s, numerous private, public, and defense sector design programs have successfully implemented SBD. However, concerns regarding

We propose a Systems Modeling Language (SysML) extension, referred to as the “Human‐Agent Teaming Modeling Language,” and a companion method, referred to as “Human‐Agent Teaming Design Method,” which are useful in the design and specification of teams comprised of humans and artificial agents which interact within a system. The language and method support the analysis and design of human‐agent teams

Systems engineering and design (SE&D) researchers increasingly tackle questions at the intersection of technical and social aspects of complex systems design. Practical challenges of access, limited observation scope, and long timescales limit empirical study of SE&D phenomena. As a result, studies are typically conducted in model world settings abstracted from the real world, such as behavioral experiments

The concept of technological ecosystems has been increasingly applied across different domains but rarely in the area of capability development. This paper contributes to addressing this knowledge gap by demonstrating the potential value of applying the technological ecosystems perspective to support technology investment decisions. We present a practical step‐by‐step approach to show how this approach

In recent years, cyber‐physical systems (CPS) have been widely used in different problem domains. The hardware and software components in a CPS are deeply intertwined at various levels of abstraction under changing contexts to achieve the desired goals. One way to manage this complexity is through the use of modular architecture that enables portions of a CPS to be upgraded, replaced, or fixed in a

Increasingly complex systems of systems (SoS) have to be developed in ever shorter times‐to‐market at reduced costs and with high reliability. In addition, as the life cycle of such SoS frequently spans across several decades, customer expectations and market conditions will evolve. Systems engineering (SE)/model‐based systems engineering (MBSE) and configuration management (CM) need to be ever more

The technology readiness level (TRL) scale was developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the 1970s as a standardized technology maturity assessment tool for use in complex system development. Today, TRL assessments are used to make multimillion‐dollar decisions at NASA and beyond, yet anecdotal evidence suggests that there are challenges associated with TRL use in practice

Addressing modern societal challenges often requires the consideration of sociotechnical systems. Sociotechnical systems consist of technological, organizational, and social systems interacting to achieve a goal. Developing effective approaches to modeling sociotechnical systems could enable policy makers to better understand the implications of policy options prior to implementation. Through past

Presented is a novel framework for interactive systems architecture definition at early design stages. It incorporates graph‐theoretic data structures, entity relationships, and algorithms that enable the systems architect to operate interactively and simultaneously in different domains. It explicitly captures the “zigzagging” of the functional reasoning process, including not only allocated, but also

Large‐scale complex engineered systems are designed in large organizations consisting of hundreds or thousands of individuals making design decisions at different stages in the process. These complex systems are inherently multidisciplinary and uncertain, involving diverse disciplines spanning geographical locations. Without a means to guide their decisions, these many decision‐makers fall back on

With the recent progress of techniques in computer vision and processor design, vehicles are able to perform a greater number of functions, and are reaching higher levels of autonomy. As the list of autonomous tasks that the car is supposed to perform grows, two design questions arise: how to group these tasks into modules and which processors and data buses should instantiate these modules and their

Contact centers play a critical role in service businesses by acting as the interface between customers and organizations. They are strategic tools to establish a relationship with customers to promote customer satisfaction, which can lead to an increase in customer loyalty and sales. One important factor impacting customer satisfaction is service reliability, which should be constantly monitored to

Product platform design and development is an arduous process that involves multiple stakeholders both inside and outside of a company. However, owing to its benefits, product platform has been widely implemented in the industry. Although numerous methodologies for product platform option generation, selection, and optimization have been proposed and demonstrated through various case studies, only

Designing a complex system generally requires its decomposition into smaller modular constituents for the ease of design, integration, operation, and future upgrades. Typically, system decomposition analysis is conducted using an abstract system model during the initial system design stage. The design structure matrix (DSM) has been a popular tool for abstract system modeling. In the DSM, systems are

We aim to lend insights into “what” constitutes design rationale and “how” to capture these. We restrict the scope of design rationale to the cases of failures observed while testing real engineered systems. We propose a model as an integration of a system hierarchy, a causal chain, and a causality model to cast multiple views of design rationale. The model is structured into databases using a newly

A connected embedded system is a complex system that integrates hardware and software elements and has real‐time interactions with its environment. Developing such a system requires having a systemic approach, based on systems thinking and systems engineering (SE). Systems thinking demonstrates the need of adopting an interdisciplinary approach (not only technology focused but also considering societal

As the lean product development (LPD) process is responsible for maximizing the value/waste relation by encouraging different types of innovation, it needs a clear understanding of end customer value. Moreover, lean systems engineering is related to the application of lean thinking (LT) in systems engineering to improve the delivery of value to all stakeholders of the system. Then, faced with this

Many safety‐related systems are evolving into cyber‐physical systems (CPSs), integrating information technologies in their control architectures and modifying the interactions among automation and human operators. Particularly, a promising potential exists for enhanced efficiency and safety in applications such as autonomous transportation systems, control systems in critical infrastructures, smart

Cranes on offshore vessels are subjected to crane dynamics, structural couplings to the vessel, and environmental influence by waves and currents. The recent trend has been to use larger cranes on smaller vessels, which makes the lifting operation more complex and potentially dangerous. The use of digital twins (DTs) is emerging as one way to enable safer operations, real‐time simulation, and maintenance

The field of project management has been trying to find generalizable sets of rules, and this article applies approaches and methods from systems engineering to develop such rules that support flexible project design. It presents an approach for modeling projects that divides project systems into three interacting subsystems (planned, executed, and interface systems) and proposes a framework for designing

Over the past decade, the Department of Defense (DoD) developed an emergent network of systems that operate together on the battlefield to provide value to the DoD. Advances in systems engineering have enabled the DoD to develop better, more integrated, and more complex systems in this time frame. One of the emerging topics in systems engineering is the importance of nonfunctional attributes captured

The success of systems engineering (SE) efforts to solve development issues benefit from the mutually advantageous relationship between academia and practice. This relationship can be threatened by lag in adoption and differences in focus between the two worlds. In an effort to help maintain alignment between SE research and practice, a 2‐day workshop was held at the University of Alabama in Huntsville