Systems Engineering Archive

There are almost 500 articles published in this blog - it's easy to lose track. All search options are summarized in this archive: Simple search, chronological, or in the sidebar by category, by day or by date. Have fun browsing.

Books, INCOSE
Review: The INCOSE SE Handbook
February 4, 2016
The manual published by INCOSE is now available in version 5 and is based on ISO 15288 from 2023. Read now
Functional safety, Standards & Methods
The four most important systems engineering standards (2025 update)
January 28, 2016
Standards are important, but there are thousands. Here are the most important ones for systems engineers, such as ISO 15288. Read now
Standards & Methods, Knowledge
Standard-compliant development with ISO 29110 - even for the little ones
January 21, 2016
ISO 29110 is a "small" ISO 15288 and is particularly interesting for small companies in order to develop cost-effectively in accordance with the standard. Read now
Education, Interview
Interview with Colin Hood on systems engineering
January 14, 2016
For people involved in requirements management, Colin Hood is a well-known figure. Colin Hood is a Systems Engineer and long-standing member of IET and INCOSE (or the German GfSE, respectively), as well as a co-founder of the International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB). As an expert in Requirements Engineering and Requirements Management, he is the author of several books and is frequently invited to speak at conferences. In various fields of activity, Colin Hood has been and continues to be responsible for drastically reducing the effort in development projects. His specialty, besides improving requirements engineering, is supporting the change process for the introduction of new methods and tools. Today he specializes in... Read now
Case study, Industry
Öresund Bridge: Successful systems engineering
January 7, 2016
What makes good Systems Engineering, and why do some projects fail due to poor Systems Engineering? This question will be examined using a concrete example, the Öresund Bridge (Øresundsbron). The Öresund Bridge is often cited as a prime example of successful Systems Engineering, including in the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook. The bridge is used as a case study in several places there. Firstly, while good Systems Engineering is necessary for the successful development of a system, it is of course not the only prerequisite. Project management must also function, and the resources – personnel, money, equipment, and expertise – must be available. But in the following... Read now
Analysis, Knowledge
Five forecasts for systems engineering in 2016
December 31, 2015
The year is drawing to a close – and this is a popular time to look into the crystal ball. Here are my predictions for 2016: 1. Agility and Modeling Lead to More Effective Systems Engineering Agility has been on the rise for years: Especially where security doesn't play a (major) role, agile approaches can reduce costs and lead to better products because the customer gets a feel for the product being developed early on, and changes are expected from the outset and can be taken into account accordingly. On the other hand, it is now clear that the increasing complexity of systems can only be managed with modeling... Read now
Analysis, Knowledge
Christmas wishes from a Systems Engineer
December 24, 2015
The holidays are a good occasion to express wishes. There is still a lot to do in systems engineering, and therefore a lot to wish for. However, when I look at all the conflicts and crises in the world, my greatest wish is a happy, peaceful world. Nevertheless: Here is my systems engineering wish list: 1. Openness in Systems Engineering As an engineer, I want to focus on the problem, not the „surroundings.“ By that, I mean tools, interoperability, etc. That, for me, is a „means to an end.“ Openness in this area means open standards, open tools, and open formats. For example... Read now
Books, Standards & Methods
What you need to know about SYSMOD
December 17, 2015
SYSMOD by Tim Weilkiens sees itself as a „toolbox for pragmatic, model-based systems engineering.“ Read now
Analysis, Education
Five trends in systems engineering
December 10, 2015
The Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey has a beautiful view of the New York City skyline. It also has a program in Systems Engineering. From the Stevens Institute of Technology, there is a white paper on the Five Trends Transforming Systems Engineering, which I will comment on below: 1. Systems Engineering will gain in attractiveness as a career path. This is beyond doubt. The question is, what would the ideal curriculum in Systems Engineering look like? Heinz Stoewer, former INCOSE president, has commented on this. He considers it important to expose engineering students to it as early as their bachelor's studies („through the... Read now
Analysis, Germany
Can Germany keep up in systems engineering?
December 3, 2015
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
Books, Standards & Methods
Review: Just Enough Systems Engineering
November 26, 2015
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
Agility, Books
Agile system development, ca. 1973
November 19, 2015
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
Eclipse, Open Source
What is PolarSys?
November 12, 2015
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
Eclipse, events
Systems Engineering at the EclipseCon Europe 2015
November 5, 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
Automotive, Functional safety
Artificial intelligence and systems engineering
October 29, 2015
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
SE trends
What is Systems Engineering? (Updated in 2025)
July 4, 2015
Systems engineering is an approach to developing and realizing complex technical systems in large projects. Read now
SE trends
Order newsletter
July 3, 2015
If you subscribe to the SE-Trends newsletter, you will receive my latest articles directly in your inbox on a weekly or monthly basis. Of course, you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time. Your registration could not be saved. Please try again. Your registration was successful E-mail address Provide your email address to subscribe. For e.g abc@xyz.com Frequency Weekly Monthly I agree to receive the newsletter and accept the privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in our newsletter. We use Sendinblue as our marketing platform. By clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provided will be transferred... Read now
SE trends
About SE-Trends & Michael Jastram (2025 Update)
July 2, 2015
Dr. Michael Jastram is the founder and publisher of SE-Trends, the German-language blog on systems engineering. Read now
SE trends
About Michael Jastram
July 1, 2015
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