The #TdSE Keynotes 2016

When this article is published, it will be the second day of the TdSE is already in full swing. The first day has already been a lot of fun, and below is a summary of the two TdSE keynotes from day one.

Schaeffler on the introduction of systems engineering

The TdSE finds this year in Herzogenaurach the main location of Schaeffler, where it operates its own conference center and acts as host. It is only fitting that one of the two keynotes was delivered by Schaeffler. Uwe Wagner is Senior VP R&D in the Automotive division.

The first part outlined the activities of Schaeffler, which generates around 80% of its turnover in the automotive industry. Schaeffler traditionally comes from the mechanical sector, but has also been active in mechatronics for a long time. The current challenge, however, is the shift towards services. This change is already well advanced in other industries. I have to think of aircraft engines, which have already undergone this change to a large extent and no longer sell engines, but flight hours. Of course, this change is also being driven by the customers themselves.

Car manufacturers are saying that they are now mobility providers and no longer just manufacturers of vehicles (Uwe Wagner) [tweetthis]OEMs are mobility providers, no longer just manufacturers of vehicles #tdse[/tweetthis]

How do we get there?

What was really exciting was the last part of the presentation, which in my opinion should have taken up a much larger part of the talk: How does a traditional company like Schaeffler manage to introduce systemic thinking? According to Mr. Wagner, this rethinking is in full swing and is being put into practice.

The keywords for change are process, method, tool, or PMT for short. A very important aspect is that change is anchored in management, in the business and corporate areas.

The cornerstones for the introduction of SE at Schaeffler are processes, methods and tools (PMT) [tweetthis]The cornerstones for the introduction of SE at Schaeffler are processes, methods and tools #tdse[/tweetthis]

PMT is built up in the corporate sector, underpinned by the slogan: "Built-up PMT". PMT is used in the business area, with the keyword: "PMT in Action". Each of the two areas is visualized as a cycle, with the circles of the two areas touching and thus representing a horizontal figure eight. From this starting point, a refinement takes place, which then manifests itself in many details, which of course could not be covered in the keynote.

Furthermore, five core elements for successful system development were presented, namely:

• Project Organization
• System Architecture and Design
• Requirements Management
• System validation
• Quality management

I also see the topic of introducing systems thinking as one of the biggest challenges for my customers, and Schaeffler suggests that they have found a successful, incremental approach to this. It's a real shame that this aspect of the keynote didn't get more prominence.

Beyond Systems Engineering: European ETCS Rollout

The second keynote speech was given by Markus Bolli. As an expert in ETCS, I was naturally very excited about the presentation, as I had been working intensively on the topic for several years as part of the openETCS project.

Although this lecture was about railroads (ETCS), it was more of a case study to convey the actual topic, namely communication. He demonstrated how difficult this is using the example of the word "process", which has drastically different meanings for chemists, engineers and lawyers. With this in mind, he introduced the term hyper-complex systems: My interpretation of this term is what often goes by the term "systems of systems" in SE, and the non-deterministic complexity that arises from this. He also saw this as indicative of the 4th industrial revolution, the definition of which you have to let melt in your mouth.

Forth Industrial Revolution: "Based on cypber-physical systems in an integral space-time-environment of hyper-complex cybernetic and autopoetic principles of an empathic society." (Markus Bolli) [tweetthis]4th Industrial Revolution: hyper-complex cybernetic and autopoetic principles #tdse[/tweetthis]

But it is important not to lose sight of the goal. And the goal is to achieve results effectively. Using the example of ETCS, Mr. Boll showed that a paradigm shift has taken place here, which must be taken into account.

In the 20th century, train signals are processed by humans, i.e. Safety Integrity Level 0 (SIL 0). In the 21st century, signals are processed in a closed system, i.e. SIL 4. (Markus Bolli) [tweetthis]20th century is SIL 0, 21st century SIL 4 #tdse[/tweetthis]

We are unlikely to reach our goal through a linear development of previous approaches; a rethink is required. Here he quoted a variant of the Ashbyshen Lawnamely:

The complexity of a problem determines the necessary complexity of the appropriate solution (Markus Bolli) [tweetthis]The complexity of a problem determines the necessary complexity of the appropriate solution #tdse[/tweetthis]

The role of the conductor

The lecture was concluded with a beautiful analogy from music: a piece can be as perfect as Mozart's Magic Flute. The orchestra can be as talented as the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. But if there is no conductor, the music will be nothing.

And it is the same with system development. The challenges of hyper-complex systems require a paradigm shift and talented conductors to ensure successful implementation.

Image source: Schaeffler via Twitter