Difference between revisions of "Editor's Corner"

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The Body of Knowledge and Curriculum to Advance Systems Engineering Project (BKCASE) started in fall 2009 to create a community-based ''Guide to the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK)'' and a ''Graduate Reference Curriculum for Systems Engineering (GRCSE)''. (Please see http://www.bkcase.org for more information.)  The SEBoK sprang out of a recognition that the systems engineering (SE) discipline could benefit greatly by having a living authoritative guide to what is included in the discipline, how the discipline should be structured to facilitate understanding, and what are its most important readings. A key principle of the BKCASE project is that the SEBoK and GRCSE will always be available free worldwide – including revisions to those products.  
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[[File:Hutchison,Nicole Profile.jpeg|right|200px]]
  
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Through the end of 2012, BKCASE was led by Stevens Institute of Technology and the Naval Postgraduate School in coordination with several professional societies and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), which provided generous funding. Volunteers from dozens of companies, universities, and professional societies across 10 countries contributed many thousands of hours writing the SEBoK articles. For additional information on the BKCASE authors, please see the [[Acknowledgements]] article. The scale and complexity of BKCASE emerged over the first few months.  Systems engineering is large and relatively immature when compared to more classic engineering disciplines such as electrical and mechanical engineering.  We are extremely pleased with how the community rose to the challenge.  New authors continually stepped up when holes in the writing team were identified and we routinely assembled 25 to 30 authors every three months in a multi-day workshop to iron out issues and make key decisions. 
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One of the most critical decisions occurred in January 2011 when the team confirmed a switch to a wiki-based presentation for the body of knowledge. This added a lot to the complexity of the effort, but offered great advantage in modularity for update, access to interim material by the authors, easy review and suggestions for improvements, and flexible navigation.  In hindsight, the impact of choosing a wiki was much greater than we understood, but we are very happy we went down that path.  We believe this format to present the body of knowledge will serve the SE community much better than if we had produced a traditional PDF or Word document.
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|<center>''The ''Editor’s Corner'' provides perspective from the Editor in Chief on critical topics for systems engineering, either through their own words or by inviting a guest writer.''</center>
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To help ensure both the quality of the SEBoK and its acceptance by the community, it was vital that the SEBoK be created with an open collaborative process. Specifically, each version had public review and each review comment was adjudicated. The adjudication results can be found at [[SEBoK Review and Adjudication]].
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<div style="text-align:right">'''20 November 2023'''</div>
  
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The earliest value of the SEBoK has simply been the greater sense of community that has developed among the authors, which include many fellows of professional societies and other leaders in the field. For example, the relationship between Systems Science and Systems Engineering is now more clearly understood than in the past. This relationship is captured in Parts 2 and 3 of the SEBoK.
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The formal discipline of systems engineering emerged in the first half of the 20th century. Over the last 80+ years, it has evolved from first principles to a process-focused field that generally operates in the defense and aerospace domains to a transdisciplinary one focusing on the integration and interaction between technology and people across a variety of domains. In its ''Vision 2035'', the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), states that “the practice of systems engineering will further evolve to support the demands of ever-increasing system complexity and enterprise competitiveness. By 2035, systems engineering will leverage the digital transformation in its tools and methods and will be largely model-based using integrated descriptive and analytical digital representations of the systems. Systems design, analysis, and simulation models, immersive technologies, and an analytic framework will enable broad trade-space exploration, rapid design evolution, and provide a shared understanding of the system throughout its life cycle.”
  
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The greater value of the SEBoK, of course, comes from use by the community. As of the end of March 2013, SEBoK articles have been accessed more than 100,000 times and early usage reports are encouraging.  If the SEBoK, it will be used by thousands of systems engineers around the world as they undertake such activities as creating systems architectures, developing career paths for systems engineers, and deciding new curricula for systems engineering university programs.
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The Systems Engineering Research Center [http://www.sercuarc.org (SERC)] led the initial creation of the ''Guide to the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge'' (SEBoK, pronounced “see-bach”). In 2009, the SERC began the three-year process of developing the SEBoK with a team of over 70 authors from around the world. Version 1.0 was published in 2012 and inpast 11 years the SEBoK has evolved in many ways: new topics, the inclusion of videos, a major rearrangement of the discussion, and perhaps most importantly, the addition of an area dedicated to the emerging topics of systems engineering.
  
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The SEBoK is intended to evolve and morph with use and with changes in the field. The wiki structure is particularly well suited for that purpose. Users are asked to comment about what they like and dislike, what is missing and what should be removed. New articles will be added and existing articles updated regularly. We welcome your contributions to the SEBoK.  Please post your suggestions using the DISQUS feature on each article or send us an email at [mailto:bkcase@stevens.edu bkcase@stevens.edu].
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Over the years, the SEBoK has been led by several Editors in Chief:
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*Art Pyster and Dave Olwell led the development of SEBoK through version 1.0, including the decision to implement the SEBoK as a wiki.
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*Rick Adcock, appointed the first Editor in Chief after the transition of SEBoK from a research task to a community-led effort, helped identify new members of the editorial board and oversaw the addition of the first domain-focused knowledge area, [[Healthcare Systems Engineering]].
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*Rob Cloutier added the first new part to the SEBoK since its initial release: [[Emerging Knowledge]], which captures topics that are critical for systems engineers but for which the knowledge is not yet settled (e.g. artificial intelligence applications to systems engineering). Rob also fostered the addition of multi-media to the SEBoK and created and built upon articles about the discipline, including [[A Brief History of Systems Engineering]].
  
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At the beginning of 2013, with version 1.0 of both SEBoK and GRCSE released, BKCASE transitioned to a new governance model with shared stewardship between the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society (IEEE-CS).  This new governance structure is being formalized in an agreement between the stewards that will be finalized in spring 2013. The three co-stewards have reconfirmed their commitment to the key principle that SEBoK and GRCSE will be available free.
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I am honored to have been asked to be the newest Editor in Chief of the SEBoK. And like every Editor in Chief before me, I am extremely lucky to work with a group of editors and authors from around the world that have consistently supported the SEBoK. These people are critical representatives of the global systems engineering community, and the SEBoK would not be possible without their tireless efforts.
  
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===Version 1.1===
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Looking forward as the discipline of systems engineering evolves, the SEBoK will need to evolve with it. At my first INCOSE International Symposium in 2008, I heard about something called "model-based systems engineering". The last 5 years have seen a tremendous push toward "digital engineering". Both of these are currently reflected in the SEBoK, but we need to do more. Digital transformation is a critical topic for systems engineers and will continue to be for at least the next decade. But the true end state is not that we as a discipline create new pockets of practice but that instead we move as a community toward a data- and model-enabled way of working. My sincere hope is that in 2033, we will talk not about MBSE or DE but about systems engineering with models and data a standard part of practice. To that end, I'm pleased to share that we have assembled a team whose mission is to integrate the discussion of using models and data throughout the SEBoK and that Rob Cloutier has agreed to spearhead this effort.
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This version, released 30 April 2013, is a minor release which updates many topic articles and glossary articles.
 
  
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Changes made include:
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Finally, I encourage anyone with an interest to reach out to the SEBoK team [mailto:sebok@incose.net sebok@incose.net]. We welcome your feedback and insights and look forward to partnering with you as we move toward the SEBoK of the future.  
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* Fourteen topic articles total in Parts 1, 2, 3, and 6 were updated, often to expand or improve the explanation of the topic, in other cases to add new references.
 
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* Sixteen glossary terms were updated and two new glossary terms were added.
 
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* The [[Acknowledgements]] page was updated to reflect a significantly revised governance structure for the SEBoK which added many new contributors in varying roles.  
 
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* The [[Main Page]], this page, and others have been modified to reflect the new version.
 
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* The [[SEBoK Evolution]] page was updated extensively to reflect the new governance structure, plans for SEBoK 1.2, and the expected release of a separate SEBoK sandbox wiki, which will allow anyone in the community to make changes to existing articles or to submit new articles.
 
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* Other small updates were made in many of the administrative pages.
 
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There were no changes to improve wiki navigation and operation.  Comments from version 1.0.1 that were adjudicated were deleted from DISQUS. Comments still to be adjudicated remain in the wiki.
 
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===Anticipated Updates===
 
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As of publication, the stewards plan to regularly update the SEBoK to correct errors, improve existing articles, add new articles, and respond to specific comments from the user community.  The current plan is to issue occasional micro updates and two minor updates a year for the first two years, and then decide whether a larger more major revision is needed in the third year or whether additional micro and minor revisions are adequate.  Micro updates will be identified by three digits - version 1.x.y.  Version 1.0.1 was  the first micro update.  Minor updates will be versions 1.1, 1.2, etc., while the first major update will be version 2.0.
 
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This version 1.1 is the first minor update.  The next minor update is anticipated for fall of 2013. 
 
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Micro updates correct spelling errors and sentence grammar and make other very modest changes, and are not scheduled.
 
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Minor updates will correct errors, continue to add content to existing articles including references published recently, and perhaps add articles to existing knowledge areas.  Minor updates will not change the basic organization of the SEBoK.  The editors may not respond to all comments posted in DISQUS for the minor updates.
 
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Major updates will be unconstrained.  All accumulated comments and suggestions will be adjudicated for the major updates, and the adjudication results will be posted for the community.
 
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Updates are under the control of a Governing Board appointed by the stewards, who  oversee the SEBoK Editor-in-Chief, Co-Editor-in-Chief, and an Editorial Board. The stewards contribute resources to manage the SEBoK wiki and to support its updates.  Volunteer authors from the world-wide SE community contintue to propose new content and other volunteers  review that new content.
 
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===Version 1.2===
 
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The editors plan to add new articles for version 1.2, including one on ''Systems Engineering Education'' for Part 5.  The editors also plan to have implemented the process for updating references systematically, and will include references published since version 1.0 as appropriate to each article.
 
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This version will also consider user-suggested content in the Sandbox, as well as comments made in ''Disqus.'
 
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[[File:EditorsinChiefSignatures.png||center|400px]]
 
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|style="background-color: #ffffff"|[[File: Stevens.jpg|300px|center|Stevens Institute of Technology]] |
 
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|style="background-color: #ffffff"|[[File:Systems_Engineering_Logo_r3.JPG|552px|center|Naval Postgraduate School's Systems Engineering Department]]
 
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{{DISQUS}}
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Sincerely,
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[[File:Hutchison_Signature.png|200px|left]]

Latest revision as of 20:12, 19 November 2023

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The Editor’s Corner provides perspective from the Editor in Chief on critical topics for systems engineering, either through their own words or by inviting a guest writer.
20 November 2023

The formal discipline of systems engineering emerged in the first half of the 20th century. Over the last 80+ years, it has evolved from first principles to a process-focused field that generally operates in the defense and aerospace domains to a transdisciplinary one focusing on the integration and interaction between technology and people across a variety of domains. In its Vision 2035, the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), states that “the practice of systems engineering will further evolve to support the demands of ever-increasing system complexity and enterprise competitiveness. By 2035, systems engineering will leverage the digital transformation in its tools and methods and will be largely model-based using integrated descriptive and analytical digital representations of the systems. Systems design, analysis, and simulation models, immersive technologies, and an analytic framework will enable broad trade-space exploration, rapid design evolution, and provide a shared understanding of the system throughout its life cycle.”

The Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) led the initial creation of the Guide to the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK, pronounced “see-bach”). In 2009, the SERC began the three-year process of developing the SEBoK with a team of over 70 authors from around the world. Version 1.0 was published in 2012 and inpast 11 years the SEBoK has evolved in many ways: new topics, the inclusion of videos, a major rearrangement of the discussion, and perhaps most importantly, the addition of an area dedicated to the emerging topics of systems engineering.

Over the years, the SEBoK has been led by several Editors in Chief:

  • Art Pyster and Dave Olwell led the development of SEBoK through version 1.0, including the decision to implement the SEBoK as a wiki.
  • Rick Adcock, appointed the first Editor in Chief after the transition of SEBoK from a research task to a community-led effort, helped identify new members of the editorial board and oversaw the addition of the first domain-focused knowledge area, Healthcare Systems Engineering.
  • Rob Cloutier added the first new part to the SEBoK since its initial release: Emerging Knowledge, which captures topics that are critical for systems engineers but for which the knowledge is not yet settled (e.g. artificial intelligence applications to systems engineering). Rob also fostered the addition of multi-media to the SEBoK and created and built upon articles about the discipline, including A Brief History of Systems Engineering.

I am honored to have been asked to be the newest Editor in Chief of the SEBoK. And like every Editor in Chief before me, I am extremely lucky to work with a group of editors and authors from around the world that have consistently supported the SEBoK. These people are critical representatives of the global systems engineering community, and the SEBoK would not be possible without their tireless efforts.

Looking forward as the discipline of systems engineering evolves, the SEBoK will need to evolve with it. At my first INCOSE International Symposium in 2008, I heard about something called "model-based systems engineering". The last 5 years have seen a tremendous push toward "digital engineering". Both of these are currently reflected in the SEBoK, but we need to do more. Digital transformation is a critical topic for systems engineers and will continue to be for at least the next decade. But the true end state is not that we as a discipline create new pockets of practice but that instead we move as a community toward a data- and model-enabled way of working. My sincere hope is that in 2033, we will talk not about MBSE or DE but about systems engineering with models and data a standard part of practice. To that end, I'm pleased to share that we have assembled a team whose mission is to integrate the discussion of using models and data throughout the SEBoK and that Rob Cloutier has agreed to spearhead this effort.

Finally, I encourage anyone with an interest to reach out to the SEBoK team sebok@incose.net. We welcome your feedback and insights and look forward to partnering with you as we move toward the SEBoK of the future.

Sincerely,

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