Enabling Systems Engineering
SE activities that support an organization's needs and deliver intended value are enabled by many factors such as the organization's culture, SE workforce competencies, and how the organization grows and deploys its workforce armed with those competencies. There are as many different ways to enable SE performance as there are organizations - every organization's approach is, in detail, unique. Nevertheless, there are many common practices, methods, and considerations that organizations use, providing a framework to structure the relevant knowledge.
Beyond individuals, there are two levels of organizations defined in the SEBoK: teams/projects/programs (TPPs) and businesses/enterprises (BEs). Teams, projects, and programs are usually formed for a specific limited duration purpose, such as creating a new system or upgrading an existing service or product. Once the new system has been created and delivered or the existing service or product has been upgraded and fielded, the TPP responsible for that effort is usually disbanded and the resources associated with that effort go on to new tasks. However, there are exceptions; e.g., a SE center of excellence could persist indefinitely. On the other hand, BEs typically have permanence. They usually offer a portfolio of products and services, introducing new ones, retiring old ones, and otherwise taking steps to grow the value of the business or enterprise, however value is defined.
The primary structure of Part 4 is around individuals, TPPs, and BEs with a fourth section at the beginning of Part 4 that articulates the overall strategy to enable SE:
Knowledge Areas in Part 4
- Strategy to Organize to Perform Systems Engineering
- Organizing Individuals to Perform Systems Engineering
- Organizing Teams, Projects, and Programs to Perform Systems Engineering
- Organizing Businesses and Enterprises to Perform Systems Engineering