David Long - Beyond MBSE: Looking towards the Next Evolution in Systems

For almost ten years, the systems engineering community has been focused on the transformation from document-centric to model-based techniques. While most systems engineering organizations have completed pilot efforts, established appropriate communities of practice, and are plotting their path forward, this transformation is far from complete. In terms of the Roger’s innovation adoption lifecycle, we are beyond the early adopters, in the early majority, and moving towards the tipping point where model-based systems engineering becomes the expected framework and approach for systems engineering. Systems engineering remains a young discipline – one that must continue to learn and evolve, one where transitions should be viewed as waypoints along a journey rather than destinations themselves. While work remains to ensure the transformation to model-based techniques is both efficient and effective, it is time for the systems engineering community to begin looking beyond MBSE. When model-based is simply the way organizations practice systems engineering, what is the next evolution required to address next generation problems and deliver the organizational value required? How must the systems engineering practice evolve? What can we begin doing today – even in the continued implementation and adoption of MBSE – to prepare ourselves and our organizations to make that transition? Looking at the journey to date and the opportunities in the future, how can we characterize the next leg of the journey and plot a path forward for ourselves, our organizations, and the greater systems engineering practice? For over twenty years, David Long has focused on helping organizations increase their systems engineering proficiency while simultaneously working to advance the state of the art across the community. David is the founder and president of Vitech Corporation where he developed CORE®, a leading systems engineering software environment. He co-authored the book A Primer for Model-Based Systems Engineering and is a frequent presenter at industry events around the world. A committed member of the systems community, David is the immediate past president of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), a 10,000 member professional organization focused on sharing, promoting, and advancing the best of systems engineering. Presentation Slides — PDF (6.3 MB)