INCOSE Webinar 185: The Meaning, Purpose and Value of Systems Engineering
DATE: Wednesday, 1 October 2025
TIME: 11:00AM EDT (15:00 UTC)
The Meaning, Purpose and Value of Systems Engineering
Systems engineering emerged as a recognized discipline in the 1940s and 50s in response to the increasing complexity of both the problems engineers were facing and the systems they were developing to solve those problems. Numerous examples of the successful application of this approach, more art than technique, were described during its early decades, none greater than the Apollo lunar landing in 1969. At about that time, however, formal processes began to appear, intended to better manage the practice and make it more predictable. Unfortunately, these processes often had the unintended effect of shifting the focus of systems engineers and their managers from the objectives to be achieved to the process to be followed. Formal processes also disconnected systems engineers from the specific domains in which they were working. To remedy these issues, five recommendations are offered to help the systems engineering community restore the sense of creativity and excitement to their discipline and assure its continuing value in an increasingly complex world.
Michael Pennotti is an INCOSE Fellow and was formerly a Distinguished Service Professor in the school of Systems and Enterprises at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA. He served as Associate Dean for academics in the school and later, Director of Systems and Software Programs. Prior to joining Stevens in 2001, Mike spent 20 years as a systems engineering practitioner and leader at Bell Laboratories, designing and improving the operational performance of four generations of undersea surveillance systems for the U.S. Navy, and another 10 years applying systems principles to enterprise systems in executive positions with AT&T, Lucent Technologies, and Avaya. He is a Senior Life Member of the IEEE and was a co-founder and coach of the INCOSE Technical Leadership Institute. He holds PhD and MS degrees in electrical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of New York, a BEE from Manhattan College, and is a graduate of the AEA/Stanford Executive Institute for Technology Executives.
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Regards,
INCOSE Webinars Team
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The INCOSE Webinar Series was created to be an informative technical webinar series, designed to focus on cutting-edge topics in the systems engineering practice. Led by INCOSE members and leaders, each session offers a unique opportunity to explore emerging technologies, best practices, and practical insights.