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Systems Engineering Trends
Your weekly 5-minute update on the digital transformation in product development. Clear, well-founded, without hype. Edited by Dr. Michael Jastram. Read at Airbus, BMW, Bosch & Co.
Edited by Dr. Michael Jastram
Systems Engineering Trends
Your weekly 5-minute update on the digital transformation in product development. Clear, well-founded, without hype. Edited by Dr. Michael Jastram. Read at Airbus, BMW, Bosch & Co.
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Can Germany keep up in systems engineering?
Germany is worried. With buzzwords like Digital Agenda and Industry 4.0 swirling around, can Germany keep up with the rapid developments? While Google, Apple, and Tesla are developing new cars, VW is grappling with the emissions scandal. While Tesla relies on open source, German executives worry about their knowledge being stolen. Financially, things don’t look good either: Apple and Google want to build cars, and both are more than five times larger than Daimler – that should give us pause. (From: The Economist, Does Germany do Digital?, November 21, 2015). The Foundation for New Responsibility is trying... Read now
Review: Just Enough Systems Engineering
Summary: This relatively short, free eBook entertainingly explains what systems engineering actually is. Using everyday examples like a pantry or a watering can, it explains what architecture is, what design is, why traceability is important, and how testing is done. And very importantly, how to deal with people in the process. Update 2025: Even 15 years later, I still consider this book a great primer that everyone in systems engineering should read. Target Audience: Beginners; required reading for people who want to know what systems engineering is. Rating: ★★★★☆ Excellent book, although it only partially covers industrial systems engineering. Download: Just Enough Systems… Read now
Agile system development, ca. 1973
For several years now, agile development has been on everyone's lips. This surprises me, because agility is nothing new at all, not even in systems development. This is evidenced among other things in the INCOSE SE Handbook, which quotes Wilton Perry Chase's 1974 book „Management of System Engineering": "Chase identified three simple criteria (...): simplify communication, simplify control mechanisms and simplify paperwork. Effective SE management is not achieved through formal, impressive, suffocating documentation. It is achieved by creating a working environment that can awaken and mobilize the full creative and inventive potential; that aligns it with a minimum..." Read now
What is PolarSys?
PolarSys is twofold: An „Eclipse Industry Working Group,“ meaning a working group at the Eclipse Foundation, membership in which is fee-based. A collection of tools for use in systems development, which is managed by the aforementioned group. Behind the Industry Working Group (IWG) are industrial heavyweights such as Thales, Airbus, and Ericsson. These companies have been relying on open source for several years because they have burned their fingers on commercial tools, particularly due to risks like vendor lock-in and long-term maintenance. They finance the development of the tools. PolarSys has since abandoned the idea of developing one tool for everyone. Instead, there are now PolarSys Solutions. This… Read now
Systems Engineering at the EclipseCon Europe 2015
Eclipse – traditionally better known for Java development – has been trying to gain a foothold in systems engineering for several years. There was a lot to see of this at this year's EclipseCon Europe, and my own talk, "openETCS – Eclipse in the Rail Domain," also dealt with this topic. Papyrus (UML/SysML), which has visibly improved since Luna, was represented not only in presentations but also by exhibitors. In my opinion, however, it is still not ready for productive use. While Papyrus is just one component, PolarSys is currently the most active open... Read now
Artificial intelligence and systems engineering
Self-driving cars need artificial intelligence (AI), and after several vehicle manufacturers have already followed Google and developed self-driving cars, Toyota has now also joined this group. One problem I see with regard to SE is that the system should be deterministic, especially with embedded systems: With the same input should come the same output. This should ensure comprehensible behavior, which is often considered essential for functional safety, among other things. In systems engineering, unpredictable behavior is also referred to as „emergent behavior“. This is a classic sign of complex (as opposed to complicated) systems. This is easier said than done with AI systems... Read now
What is Systems Engineering? (Updated in 2025)
Systems engineering is an approach to developing and realizing complex technical systems in large projects. Read now
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About SE-Trends & Michael Jastram (2025 Update)
Dr. Michael Jastram is the founder and publisher of SE-Trends, the German-language blog on systems engineering. Read now
About Michael Jastram
I came to system development via requirements management, which is a sub-discipline of system development, and a very important one at that. You can reach me in many ways >> I worked for several years as a consultant for the HOOD Group in the field of requirements management and got to know this discipline in practice at companies such as Volkswagen Hella and Continental. However, I was later able to expand this view, which had been shaped by the automotive industry, as part of my doctorate, where on the one hand the system character was added, and on the other hand I came into contact with other industries: aviation (Airbus), railroads (DB, Thales, Alstorm) and space (Space Systems Finland). But originally I come... Read now
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