INCOSE Library

Why do systems engineering practices degrade under pressure, and can the working environment be designed to prevent it? People attend to the signals they trust, and trust follows feedback. A delivery deadline offers clear criteria and immediate consequences, while a skipped review may cause no visible problem for months, so under pressure attention shifts, rationally,…

In recent years, the consideration of product and IT security as well as the consideration of resilience and Integrated Product Support (IPS) analysis in the development phase has increased. These aspects often run in parallel and start in the concept phase, with the initial requirements and after architectural decisions. The hu-man-machine interface (HMI) as well…

This paper examines ethics and values in INCOSE Vision 2035 and argues that, although the Vision refers to trust, sustainability, social acceptability, and socio-technical systems, these themes remain distributed rather than organized through a clear ethical structure. Based on a qualitative reading of key INCOSE documents, selected papers, and the author’s previous research stream, the…

Through Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), new capabilities on system artifacts are enabled during development by employing formal and digital models. The future vision of MBSE entails that data and information is not only used more effectively but also connected across an organization and easily traceable. One capability that particularly benefits from improved data and information…

Large public infrastructure projects involve complex interactions between political, institutional, organizational, and physical conditions. Despite extensive research on megaproject complexity, few frameworks explicitly structure these interactions from a systems perspective. This study develops a conceptual system-of-systems model to describe sociotechnical complexity in early-stage railway projects. The model is based on qualitative data from 19 interviews…

This document presents a process for executing behavior models derived from architecture defi-nition models within the framework of mod-el-based systems engineering (MBSE). Central to this process is the concept of a simulation re-quest, which serves as the mechanism by which system models—lacking direct execution capa-bilities in architecture definition applica-tions—can be connected to specialized simula-tion tools.…

Integrating cybersecurity controls and requirements into the design of complex systems during early stages is a challenging but necessary step to ensure systems work as intended in contested environments. In this paper, we use model-based systems engineering (MBSE) concepts to allow diverse stakeholders to collaboratively build secure applications from the ground up. First, we introduce…

Complex systems create dynamic interdependencies that challenge traditional, linear Configuration Management (CM). These environments require more than technical tracking; they necessitate a holistic approach to the configuration management of the entire system, characterized by deliberate control of configuration granularity, traceability, and coherence. While technical mechanisms, such as baselines and change control remain essential, CM ultimately…

This paper describes a methodology for governing product development that is reflecting the way work actually is performed. The methodology has tailoring included as a mandatory step which makes it scale well. One fundamental aspect de-scribed in the paper is the importance of measur-ing the maturity of information and how it is connected to each…

This paper introduces an interactive web-based environment designed to support the formulation and visualization of multidisciplinary design workflows using the KADMOS (Knowledge- and graph-based Agile Design for Multidisciplinary Optimization Systems) framework. KADMOS provides robust graph-based methods for formulating Multidisciplinary Design Analysis and Optimization (MDAO) workflows from repositories of disciplinary analysis tools. However, in its current…

For a long time, Model-Based Systems Engineer-ing (MBSE) relied on Systems Modeling Language Version 1 (SysML V1). Over the past decade, prac-titioners have developed diverse methodologies tailored to SysML V1. With introduction of SysML Version 2 (V2), these methodologies and their supporting language extensions cannot be trans-ferred directly, as V2 introduces a fundamentally different extension…

AI now permeates daily life and serves as a powerful tool for model‑based systems engineering. This work provides practical tips for crafting reliable models in secure environments—behind corporate firewalls or on classified systems. Context is a crucial element in developing effective, reliable explainable‑AI (XAI) results because it enables machines to grasp the nuances of human…

Digitalization has strong potential to improve interdisciplinary collaboration in engineering. Throughout the development of technical systems, digital models are developed to support system maturation and help ensure that stakeholder and customer needs are met. However, digital twins are still primarily used during the operational phase, even though their foundational elements are established in the early…

Risk analyses are foundational to achieving functional safety in complex systems, yet document-based approaches suffer from duplication, inconsistency, and limited traceability. This paper introduces the Functional Hazard Assessment (FHA) library integrated into the upcoming Risk Analysis and Assessment Modeling Language (RAAML) 1.2 and presents the metamodel, semantics, and reuse patterns that enable standards-aligned, model-based FHA…

In the Age of AI, SEs need to hone their critical evaluation skills, leverage productivity with AI effectively, and operate in an environment where the AI product life cycle refreshes in months, not years. This means developing critical new skills and competencies: 1) recognizing and mitigating “AI workslop;” 2) learning and applying AI tools to…

When do we know that we know? When we are confident the information at hand is true and makes sense. In a volatile, uncertain, complex and sometimes even ambiguous world this can be a challenge. There is a need for methods to build Knowledge Systems and document data so it can be retrieved as information…

Sustainability requires more than incremental improvement. It demands a fundamental re-thinking of systems, missions, visions, business models, enterprise architectures, and product life cycles. Yet, current approaches to sustaina-bility transformation remain largely fragment-ed, siloed, and disconnected from the systemic methodologies that could make them effective. Systems Engineering (SE) offers a powerful lens for addressing this challenge,…

Simulation artifacts are increasingly used to sup-port development decisions in Model-Based Sys-tems Engineering (MBSE), but the handover from analysis architectures to executable simulation packages is often manual and weakly traceable. This paper presents an automation workflow for standards-based interoperability between Systems Modeling Language (SysML) v2 analysis archi-tectures and System Structure and Parameteriza-tion (SSP)/Functional Mock-up Interface…

System readiness assessment methods that build on Technology Readiness Levels and interface maturity indices have been widely adopted, yet they remain challenged by two persistent issues: the use of inadmissible mathematical operations on ordinal readiness scales and limited robustness when applied to hierarchically decomposed, multi-level architectures. This paper addresses these gaps by proposing a bottom-up…

Within organisations developing complex cyber-physical systems, technical leaders are considered vital for engineering success. With ever-accelerating technical enhancement pace, both technical leaders as well as their organisations need to embrace and manage change to stay relevant over time. The ultimate goal is to refine and gain new knowledge, develop products at the forefront of technology,…

The Air Transport System, or ATS for short, transports people and commodities in the air over great distances, facilitating global connectivity and economic activity. The complexity level reached by the ATS justifies the need to address it as a system of systems where each sub-system has its own goals and constraints. Efficient management of the…

In rapidly evolving industries, the ability to make strategic decisions and anticipate competitors’ ac-tions is crucial. However, decision-making is often complicated by uncertain market conditions and the subjective nature of evaluating future opportunities. This paper investigates the use of game theory to support technological roadmapping. Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR) was evaluated as a…

Systems Engineering (SE) already provides a large set of methods helping to deal with tech-nical complexity and uncertainty. Practical application of SE often struggles not because of missing technical expertise or documentation discipline, but by communication breakdowns, role ambiguity, interface friction, unstable expectations, and weak decision making under uncertainty. This paper presents a conceptual and…