INCOSE Technical Operations is pleased to invite you to join us in Los Angeles, California, USA for the Annual International Workshop 2016 (IW2016), to be held from Saturday, January 30 – Tuesday, February 2, 2016 at the Torrance Marriott Hotel.

The workshop enables INCOSE members of almost 50 Working Groups, the Chapters, Leadership and Administrative Committees to come together to advance the progress on the products and activities of INCOSE. Whether you are already a member committed to one or more of these entities, or you are just curious to discover what is happening in our organization, IW2016 is an excellent opportunity for sharing and networking with friends and colleagues. These meetings are our premier forum for the exchange of ideas and for helping to move both INCOSE and systems engineering forward. The following topics are just a few examples of all the activities going on during IW2016. For a full overview and detailed schedule of all the activities and meetings, please refer to the INCOSE International Workshop 2016 website.

The greatest opportunity to find out what is happening throughout INCOSE is during the Opening Plenary on Saturday morning, 30 January 2016. The opening plenary provides an overview of INCOSE’s current activities and initiatives, and includes the installation of newly elected officers and directors.

Working Group meetings: Most of the Working Groups of INCOSE meet throughout the 4 days from Saturday - Tuesday. Some WGs meet and work over several days, while others schedule their activity within one day. There are two kinds of WG meetings:

  • Working sessions, where the focus is on improving and completing Working Group products. Working sessions are ideal for contributing with and learning from the real experts in the field. Attendees planning to attend Working sessions are encouraged to contact the relevant session leaders before the event to facilitate planning.
  • Outreach sessions, where the focus is on disseminating the current state of the art to Workshop attendees with no of little previous exposure to the working groups. Attending an Outreach session is also the ideal opportunity to influence the future direction of a Working Group and perhaps the entry point for deeper Working Group involvement.

To inform you better of the activities and products each Working Group will be working on during the Workshop, all Working Groups are encouraged to share their plans for the Workshop activities. You are welcome to visit the WGs to find out more details about their current activities, and they always welcome new participants and contributors. Please visit our website where you will find all useful information and charters for our active WGs - www.incose.org

Model based Systems Engineering has been a strong topic at the recent INCOSE International Workshops. This year the MBSE Workshop will be a cross cutting activity occurring throughout the duration of the IW. To learn more about the MBSE Workshop and the current agenda and topics please see the link below:

www.omgwiki.org/MBSE/doku.php?id=mbse:incose_mbse_iw_2016

Projects & Initiatives: Major projects and initiatives are discussed between the project leadership and the key participants, to understand any impacts to INCOSE in both the near-term and mid-term and to establish the necessary plans. The projects and initiatives include MBSE and BKCASE.

Town-Hall meetings: Two plenary Town-Hall meetings are scheduled. On Sunday an update of the BKCASE project is shared with the audience and on Monday you will be informed about the status of two of our 5-year objectives; Transformation and Impactful Products. Both Town-Hall meetings will be held first thing in the morning and are live broadcasted like an INCOSE Webinar.

INCOSE Foundation Soiree: As the name indicates, this event takes place in the evening - on Saturday, 30 January. The Corporate Advisory Board once again hosts the Soiree to benefit the INCOSE Foundation, thereby advancing the development of systems engineering and prestige of systems engineers through funded scholarships, research, and international forums. This Soiree is open to everyone participating in IW2016. For only a USD 25 donation, you will enjoy a wine bar, generous buffet and be entered to win a variety of prizes donated by INCOSE chapters and other generous benefactors.

Closing Plenary followed by the Closing Reception with Working Group Bazaar / Market Place: Late afternoon Tuesday, 2 February wraps up the Workshop with a plenary session, during which short reports will be made to summarize the event. This session is followed immediately by a closing reception during which all Working Groups are available for a personal face-to-face dialogue on their workshop accomplishments and their plans for another productive INCOSE year. This is a unique opportunity to follow what happened in the meetings when you were busy or were otherwise unable to attend.



The International Workshop offers opportunities to contribute and to ask questions, to learn and to lead; there is something for everyone, whatever your level of expertise and commitment to INCOSE. And for good reason – IW2016 is all about you, our members. We look forward to seeing you in Los Angeles!

Paul Schreinemakers
INCOSE Technical Director
Mike Celentano
Deputy Technical Director