Complex Systems and Systems of Systems Engineering

Chapter 4

Finding the Right Problem ¹

“A problem without a solution is a badly posed problem.

“One day, machines will be able to answer all questions, but they will never be able to ask one!”

Albert EINSTEIN

“I keep six honest serving-men (they taught me all I knew). Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who.”

Rudyard KIPLING

As in any reasoned approach, one of the first steps in systems engineering consists of establishing a problem and expressing the purpose of the system in the form of a series of expectations or constraints. In this case, the expression of the problem will involve, among other things, the creation of a specification. This capturing and formalization of needs is essential as the quality of a service or product is measured by its ability to satisfy the expectations of the users of the system, expressed or otherwise.

Architectural design activities, which we will consider later, allow us to find the optimal solution and therefore the “right” architecture, including constituent elements, the way in which these elements are laid out and, especially, the network of interactions between these elements, so “an organized set of elements in dynamic interaction”.

In order to find the right solution, we must first manage to express the right problem, correctly and completely.

This is the issue facing Yves. The Antarctica project has now been launched and, in his role as project director, he naturally begins to think about finding a supplier for a ...