Working on the wrong thing with efficiency

What is the difference between efficiency and effectiveness? Someone who is efficient has a high degree of effectiveness, i.e. achieves a lot per unit of time. Someone who is effective comes closer to the result. But what does this have to do with systems engineering? Quite simply, the complexity of systems engineering means that you can quickly become efficient without being effective.

In systems engineering, it is easy to be efficient without being effective.

Efficiency means Doing things rightFor example, creating a correct model or producing software code. Especially in large teams and large projects, you have to ask yourself whether the result is needed at all. Because effective means, to do the right things. So if the model is not needed (or not in the given form), or the code is never executed, then it is irrelevant how correct the model is or how good the code is.

There are two dangers in systems engineering in this respect:

Danger of self-employment

If you are familiar with standards such as the ISO 15288 you are confronted with a large number of processes. Especially with smaller projects, you should not think that all of these have to be implemented in a complex manner. For example, there is the "Architecture Definition Process". If the architecture results from a brief discussion, for example because it is already defined by a legacy system or the use of a framework, then no process needs to be defined here, one sentence can be sufficient (e.g. in the project diary). This danger can easily be countered with two tools: common sense and a little thought.

Risk of losing the overview

The second danger is losing the overview. If, for example, the architect is not informed of a new requirement that has a significant impact on the architecture, he may continue to work for weeks on a solution that is actually already obsolete. This is a classic case of efficiency without effectiveness and should be avoided at all costs.

Solution: Validation and change management

Validation - in contrast to verification - is about checking whether the right product is being built. And this is an important process according to ISO 15288 (verification is about whether the product is built correctly). A good validation process ensures that work is done effectively.

But requirements change. It is therefore important that the right things are validated again when changes are made. So if the relevant things are validated for the first time and with every change, then we have taken an important step towards effectiveness.