Systems engineering involves designing and managing complex engineering projects across multiple specialties. It requires technical and project management skills, including modeling, simulation, and consensus building. The field emerged in the 1940s to manage interrelated systems as a unit. The International Council on Systems Engineering (ICOSE) was created in 1990 to establish professional standards and specialized training. Systems engineers are needed in various industries, including building control systems and space station construction. A college degree in systems engineering is required.
Systems engineering is focused on the design and management of complicated engineering projects across a wide range of engineering specialties. In systems engineering, there is a combination of technical and project management skills needed to complete multidisciplinary projects. Modeling, simulation, requirements analysis, project management and consensus building are all necessary tools to complete a complex project.
Systems engineering was originally started in the early 1940’s because of the need to manipulate and manage a complex, interrelated system as a unit rather than the sum of many small parts. As the scope of the project expanded to include multiple areas, special expertise was needed to coordinate changes across multiple fields and skill areas for the benefit of the entire project. The development of this field was born out of a genuine need for someone with engineering knowledge and experience to manage all the other engineers.
The National Council on Systems Engineering (NCOSE) was created in 1990 as a professional society for systems engineers. The purpose of NCOSE is to build a recognized professional standard set of business practices and to encourage the development of specialized training in this field of engineering. In 1995, the association was renamed the International Council on Systems Engineering (ICOSE) in recognition of multidisciplinary engineering programs outside the US.
As technology continues to advance, the need for systems engineers grows. The tools and methods used to understand and improve complex systems expand to meet the exponential growth of new systems. There are standard tools used to understand complex systems, as they all rely on fundamentally sound engineering concepts.
Modeling, simulation, system dynamics, decision making and various types of analysis are all necessary skill sets that are used in systems engineering. A good example of a project that required systems engineering is the construction of the International Space Station. In the complicated project of building and launching the space station, there were a number of experts and specialists needed to make all the individual pieces work together. Without an interdisciplinary approach, the project would have been derailed due to lack of effective communication and coordination.
Systems engineers are also employed in more common settings, such as developing complex computer systems to control building systems. Different fields have specific requirements and the skill of someone who understands all aspects is critical to the success of these innovations. The credentials needed to become a systems engineer is a college degree in systems engineering. This field of study is available in most of the top university engineering faculties.
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