Join us for our 20 February 2024 Chapter meeting featuring:
Main Presentation: "Architecting a Purpose-Driven Roadmap for Impactful Digital Transformation", by Dr. Carla Sayan
Abstract:
The Aerospace and Defense Industry is currently undergoing a paradigm shift recognized as digital transformation or digital engineering. Despite its prevalence and being introduced with considerable interest, the precise objectives of this paradigm shift remain elusive from other branches of engineering, fostering diverse interpretations within the industry’s landscape. The paper begins by addressing the fundamental question: what exactly are digital transformation and digital engineering? We then explore whether this concept encompasses the widespread adoption of model-based systems engineering (MBSE), Model-Based Design (MBD) and others. Our inquiry extends to examining how these MB-X methodologies reshape traditional engineering practices, and whether digital engineering transcends beyond the realms of MBSE and MBD to include broader technological, procedural and organizational changes. We will explore whether digital is simply a progressive refinement of longstanding practices on what the hardware (electrical and mechanical) discipline has already proven for decades; that prioritizing modeling and simulation before producing HW can yield an improvement in the development life cycle. This paper aims to define a purpose for digital engineering and outline a roadmap forward for the evolution of digital engineering as a core practice.
Bio:
Carla Sayan Ph.D. is an Associate Director for Systems Engineering at a Government Contractor. She is an inventor, author and has 18+ years of extensive knowledge and industry experience in various domain areas: Sensors and Effectors, Multi-Function RF Systems, Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Systems of Systems Architectures and Embedded Systems Integrity. She is responsible for Company Wide Transformations implementing Digital, Model Based X initiatives and Agile across Franchise Level Programs. Carla holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Arizona and is a member of INCOSE, IEEE and SHPE.
Upcoming INCOSE Events
Systems Thinking in a Digital World: The Models are NOT the Engineering
Presenter: Christopher Stokes
Biography
Chris is a Principal Systems Engineer at Raytheon Technologies. He has worked for the Raytheon Missiles and Defense division of Raytheon Technologies in Tucson, AZ for 22 years. He studied Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. In addition, he Studied Systems Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville where he obtained a Master of Science in Systems Engineering with a Statistical Analysis focus.
Chris has worked on many different Defense programs including the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Aegis LEAP Interceptor (ALI), SM-3 Block 0, SM-3 Block I, SM-3 Block Ia, SM-3 Block Ib, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI), Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV), Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV), Tactical Advanced Laser-guided OrdNance (TALON), and StormBreaker. Chris is currently the Lead Systems Engineer for the StormBreaker Information Security Engineer Change Program (iECP) at Raytheon Missile and Defense. He is a member of several professional organizations including INCOSE and AIAA. He enjoys cycling, Star Wars, and Dungeons and Dragons.
Abstract
The future of the Systems Engineering Discipline lies in Model Based Systems Engineering. As the complexities of the Subassembly, Assembly, Unit, Module, System, and Systems of Systems grows ever more complicated, the ability of the modern systems engineer to keep up grows more dependent on models and algorithms to ensure that the system in question meets the requirements and (more importantly) the needs of the customer. However, while the techniques of Model-Based Systems engineering can aid the systems engineer and all other disciplines, there is a caution.
The MBSE model should never be a substitute for the engineer’s thought process and decision making. This paper will discuss three such case studies where the model substituted for the knowledge and experience of the engineer. Specifically, the Kansas City Hyatt Regency walkway collapse, the Atlanta Centennial Olympic Stadium collapse, and a modern Defense System requirements model errors that lead to increased cost and schedule delays. In addition to going through each of these failures in detail, the paper will provide lessons learned applicable to future endeavors.