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
Collaboration, Communications and Culture in Systems Engineering: a Pathway to Smoother Projects
Online
Abstract: Are you on a project, where parts of the Systems Engineering are not “in flow”? For instance, is the elicitation of needs or development of requirements a struggle? Or for many critical infrastructure programs – is there a wildly diverse set of stakeholders and project participants, that technical and risk discussions are lost in the translation between the culture and vocabulary of different sectors? This presentation will show how a focus on the collaboration involved – or lack thereof – could get to the root of the problem. Projects are made up of human beings, and sometimes a gap in communication, unclear roles, or some other flaw in the flow of information can slow down even hard working, dedicated and emotionally intelligent team members.
Three areas for trouble-shooting are described: Collaboration, Communications, and Culture. The INCOSE Needs and Requirements Manual (NRM) will serve as the basis for exploring the role of collaboration, and propose a team structure that will help identify if there is a role gap or broken link. Next we present a communications model in the context of systems engineering that reminds us it is ONLY how the message is received, that counts. Finally the third part will introduce how a Collaborative Systems-Thinking Culture (CSTC), can help these new changes stick, long term. Fixing issues around collaboration, communications, or culture is not easy, nor often quick; if these are the root of the problems, then there is no substitute action (deploying MBSE for instance) that will let project performance to improve. Not only is this achievable, but project work we propose, will be more satisfying along the way – leading to a much better product or system for your customer.
Speaker: Raymond B. Wolfgang helps a variety of National Systems complete projects on-time and on-budget through crafting and managing requirements, verification, and validation activities. He currently serves as a Systems Engineer at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM. He has led requirements authorship and analysis for several programs, at both the systems-level and for multiple components. He has deployed several process improvement initiatives in requirements management, and currently leads an effort to complete a large program’s use case portfolio. His interests focus in requirements state-of-practice, systems engineering applied to critical infrastructure and social systems, and leadership practice in Systems Engineering. Raymond also served as a systems engineer and information assurance engineer on several research and development programs for the US Navy as a civilian. An electrical engineer by training, Ray has degrees from Purdue University and Pennsylvania State University, and remains active in the Enchantment chapter of INCOSE (southwest USA) as well as several other professional societies. He is currently a CSEP holder and has a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) with some other IT security certifications from his days in Information Assurance. Reach out to him on LinkedIN for any questions or follow-up.