Systems Engineering in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

1Systems Engineering, Data Analytics, and Systems Thinking

Ron S. Kenett Robert S. Swarz and Avigdor Zonnenshain

Synopsis

In the last decade, industries in advanced economies have been experiencing significant changes in engineering and manufacturing practices, processes, and technologies. These changes have created a resurgence in engineering and manufacturing activities. This phenomenon is often referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0. It is based on advanced manufacturing and engineering technologies, such as massive digitization, big data analytics, advanced robotics and adaptive automation, additive and precision manufacturing (e.g. 3D printing), modeling and simulation, artificial intelligence, and the nano‐engineering of materials. This revolution presents challenges and opportunities for the systems engineering discipline. For example, virtually all systems now have porous boundaries and ill‐defined requirements. Under Industry 4.0, systems have access to large types and numbers of external devices and to enormous quantities of data, which must be analyzed through big data analytics. It is, therefore, the right time for enhancing the development and application of data‐driven and evidence‐based systems engineering. One of the trends in data analytics is the shift from detection to prognosis and predictive monitoring in systems operations. Similar trends apply to testing and maintenance using prognostics and health monitoring (PHM). Also, an enhanced ...