THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
Theoretical Foundations
TO
The systems engineering foundations have a stronger scientific and mathematical grounding based on advanced practices, heuristics, systems observable phenomena, and formal ontologies. The foundations are shared across application domains, and provide additional rationale for selecting and adapting practices to maximize value for the particular application.
FROM
Systems engineering foundations are derived from application experience, and are documented in the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK), various process standards such as ISO/IEC 15288, and handbooks, such as the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook; these are taught and supported by higher education, certification bodies, and professional societies.
Observable Phenomena as the Basis for Theoretical Foundations
By 2035, the systems engineering community is benefitting from foundational research into systems engineering theoretical foundations on multiple fronts. A combination of foundations have been pursued and models, methods, and the underlying mathematics defined that offers analytical insights to new emergent behaviors resulting from rapidly evolving real-world systems and systems of systems. One area of research is to identify the more general observable phenomenon, derived from basic science, that underlie system interactions. Another research area is to identify the relevant foundations that provide the basis for establishing and optimizing systems value. These foundations and their supporting mathematical-based descriptive models provide the basis for virtual explorations of the system design-interaction space. The theoretical foundations based virtual space establishes and optimizes system value across a broad SoS trade space. Additional foundations are still being derived from physical, social, and systems sciences, and will be integrated into a more cohesive set of systems engineering theoretical foundations.
1. THE SYSTEMS PHENOMENON (LAWS OF COMPONENT/SYSTEMS-OF-SYSTEMS INTERACTIONS)
By 2035, the systems engineering community has recognized the value of understanding, interpreting, and leveraging in practice the theoretical foundations of the systems phenomenon. Research into this phenomenon has provided the systems engineer with principles and derived theories that capture the interactions between components (state-impacting exchange of energy, force, material, or information). Systems phenomenon-derived models are based on Hamilton’s principle and directly relatable to STEM specific specialization models.
2. THE VALUE SELECTION PHENOMENON (CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE VALUE CREATION)
The observable value selection phenomenon provides the systems engineering practitioner insights into a product’s perceived value, from a user’s perspective, when the products is used in context of its intended operational domain. For instance, an autonomous vehicle in city traffic. The customer/users ultimate value selection of the “product-in-context” is a function of both the products “designed” performance and the interactions between the product and its environment. Empirical discovery of value is a key goal of agile engineering methods, minimum viable products (MVPs), fail-fast strategies, and on-line A/B experiments and tests, all of which directly observe selection phenomena.
3. THE MODEL TRUST BY GROUPS PHENOMENON (LAWS OF HUMAN and MODEL UNCERTAINTY)
Research into the observable phenomenon called Model Trust by groups has provided frameworks that expose and help capture the critical factors associated with model trust. The generation of model credibility metrics are standard systems engineering practice, to providing an assessment of model quality, value, and fitness for purpose. The model trust by groups phenomenon has led to the development of model patterns that provide reuse efficiencies and elevate decision maker model confidence.