Systems Engineering for the Digital Age

Chapter 6Systems Engineering Transformation Through Digital Engineering

Jon Wade

University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

Systems Engineering Transformation

Systems Trends

We are currently entering The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Schwab 2015), which is the ongoing automation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practices, using artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and smart technology. The capabilities of AI and ML are increasingly blurring the lines between human and machine. Large‐scale machine‐to‐machine communication (M2M) and the internet of things (IoT) are integrated for increased automation, improved communication and self‐monitoring, and the production of smart machines that can analyze and diagnose issues without the need for human intervention. Revolutions in production technology fundamentally change society and its human development and support requirements as reflected in past industrial revolutions. The global community is calling for more attention to how systems can positively contribute to our social condition and natural environment to help advance our quality of life. A systems approach is necessary to address the social, environmental, and economic sustainable issues with our systems solutions. The following are some critical trends that are pushing current systems engineering practices into obsolescence in many critical domains and applications.

The first trend is that systems are becoming increasingly more complex in both ...