3Idea Based
19. They Were Right: KISS, Simplify, and Reduce Complexity
Many experienced systems engineers have argued that we need to systematically “Keep It Simple” and reduce the complexity of our systems. One of them was the master systems engineer, Eberhardt Rechtin [1]. I certainly agree. But we need to figure out how to do that. Here are a few suggestions as to what to consider in tackling this matter:
- a. Develop measures of complexity that make sense
- b. Use these measures to determine what is too complex, and what is not
- c. Do the above as early as possible in the system’s life cycle
- d. Actually reduce the complexity of the system(s) under consideration (implementation)
- e. Take note of what it is that increases complexity, i.e., ...
