A site for humans who design systems for other humans.
Successful systems accomplish their objectives efficiently and cost-effectively within the operational context. It seems like a simple idea, but each project is unique and nuanced. The systems engineer is challenged to understand, interpret, and balance all of the stakeholder objectives as they affect (or effect!) each decision in the project lifecycle.
This is a difficult task for even moderately complex systems. For large, complex systems being developed by comparably large, bureaucratic organizations for even larger and more bureaucratic customers, it can seem depressingly close to impossible.
New approaches claim to address some of this complexity; for example, Human Systems Integration, Agile Systems Engineering, and Model-Based Systems Engineering. Each idea sounds great in theory, but sometimes we wonder if they’re just making systems engineering even harder.
Hence, Engineering For Humans, exploring the many facets of systems engineering theory and practice. Let’s become better systems engineers, together.