Impact of Systems Engineering at NASA

Statement of the Problem

The true impact or value of systems engineering to an organization unfortunately appears not to have been well studied and understood. Enough evidence does not exist to show or prove that the implementation of Systems Engineering is beneficial to the development of complex systems.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to analyze and develop relevant knowledge concerning the “true” impact of Systems Engineering in the development of complex systems at NASA. It will also analyze data collected from other sources, external to NASA, for comparisons. Even though the principles of systems engineering are highly encouraged by NASA at all levels, no study has been done to evaluate the “true” impact of Systems Engineering at NASA.

It is a commonly held belief that Systems Engineering produces better and cheaper systems and does it faster, yet there is no existing proof for this belief. This study wants to prove or disprove that Systems Engineering adds or does not add value; and that the lack of Systems Engineering may or may not result in cost and schedule overruns. This study will help in the development a knowledge base that will help systems engineers, contractors, and managers working within or outside NASA. The study may bring to light how much and what level of systems engineering is to be applied to a given project.

Significance of the Study

This study is significant because it will focus on the “true” impact or role of Systems Engineering at NASA. Systems Engineering has been given a place in the development of most complex systems, projects or missions at NASA and elsewhere so by analyzing its real impact, one may know its value, effectiveness or how much Systems Engineering is to be considered for each individual project.

This study will also try to validate what most practitioners already “believe” intuitively, that is Systems Engineering adds some value to the development of any complex system. This research will also fill the gap that exists in Systems Engineering literature. It will provide a proven tool or method for evaluating actual benefits or impact of systems engineering on a project. In addition to all of the above, the study will also highlight relationships between systems engineering, cost, technical performance, schedule and risks.

Approach

The study is performed through survey forms distributed to engineers and managers in NASA and other industries. The survey forms are designed to elicit respondent understanding of the impact and value of Systems Engineering on their projects. Forms are also designed using proven survey rules to include blind and test questions that allow statistical checking of the respondents.

A number of case studies analysis are also being performed to establish some relationships between the survey results and actual data gathered from various projects.

This project is being performed as a doctoral research under the guidance of Dr. Howard Eisner of George Washington University, a SECOE participant.

Status

Forms were distributed by hand and via email and web sources during summer 2002. Analysis of data is currently progressing.

Contact Information

For further information on this project, contact Ave K. Kludze, Jr, Systems Engineering Branch, NASA Langley Research Center, Virginia, at a.k.kludze@larc.nasa.gov.

Funding for this project is provided by NASA Langley Research Center.

Page last modified 10 Jan 03