John A. ThomasPresident-Elect INCOSE (2012)

Senior Vice President & Chief System Engineer Booz Allen Hamilton

Delaware Valley Chapter @ UPenn Presentation8 November 2011

Technical Leadership is not Optional for System Engineers

A Call for Leadership

2

(System) Engineers with Moxie **

** U.S. DoD C4ISR Journal, January 1 2010 “Commentary by John A. Thomas”

W A N T E D

3

The Systems Engineer Ensures the“Whole” is greater than the “Sum of Its Parts” **

Through Performing Requirements, Design and Integration Activities

The Whole DeltaParts j

j = 1

n

(System)

The System

(Links)

Link # 1 Link # 3 Link # 2

Link # 7

Link # 5Link # 4

Link # 6

(Components )j

Component # 1

Component # 2

Component # 3

** -- Adapted from Allen Fairbairn remarks, Chief Systems Engineer of the Chunnel Project)

Another view of a “Whole and its Parts”

Built From its Parts

Engine Chassis Body

The Whole

5

There are Different Ways to Look at Costs

What’s the Risk Value of “Delta” during Development ?

Engine

Chassis

Body

The Whole

The Whole DeltaParts j

j = 1

n

Development Commitment

$ 500M

Dev Cost = $ 200M

Dev Cost = $ 90M

Dev Cost = $ 110M

Interface Development3% = $15M

12% = $60M

Total Dev Cost = $ 400M (80% of Program)

What’s the Risk Value of the “Delta” during Production ?

Engine

Chassis

Body

The Whole

The Whole DeltaParts j

j = 1

n

Unit Cost = $ 42,500Unit Retail = $ 50,000

Cost = $ 15,500

Cost = $ 9,000

Cost = $ 12,000

Labor3% = $ 1,275

12% = $ 5,100

Total Parts Cost = $ 36,500

8

The Sensitivity of Getting a Correct “Delta” Changes as a Function of when you Discover if you got it Wrong

Most of the time it gets discovered in

this time frame

9

Three roles required for any system program to

succeed

Mgt Role

Build Component Role

Design & Integration

Role

Design and Integration RoleExecuted by a SE&I Team

• System Engineer• Subject Matter Experts• Engineers & Scientists• Sociologists. Anthropologists• Economists• Builder Representatives• Policy Makers• Stakeholders

• Program Manager• System Engineer• Stakeholders• Policy Makers• Cost & Schedule Manager• Contracts Officer …

• Component Builder• Management Representatives

(Program Manager. Stakeholders, …)• SE&I Representatives

(System Engineer, SME’s, …)

− The System Engineer is found in each Role −

Build Component RoleExecuted Implementation Teams

Management RoleExecuted by a Management Team

10

System Engineer

Management Team

Build Component

TeamsSE&I Team

Leadership (As exercised by the System Engineer) is critical to the success of each program role

Remember the old saying – “If nobody is following, you ain’t leading” − What skills/experience is needed to lead within a dynamic like

this −

System Engineer – The leader of the SE&I Team

System Engineer – A leader partnering with the Build teams

System Engineer – A leader within the Management team

11

Need of membership on the Management Team caused PMI and INCOSE to shift messages from PM “or” SE

12

To a joint INCOSE/PMI message of PM “and” SE **

** -- Toward a New Mindset - INCOSE eINSIGHT Sept 2011

-- Toward a New Mindset - PMI Network Magazine Sept 2011

13

Technical Interpreter of Requirements

Integration Manager& Strategist

Sets TechnicalVision and Standards

for Analysis

Correlates – Technical Scope with Work

Activities

Architect for RequirementsDriven Design

Arbitrator for Trades across Components

The SE -- to be an effective leader – bridges to and translates across -- all 3 teams

Brake

SE&I Team Build Component Teams

Management Team

Systems Engineer

14

These skills/experience are critical for addressing today’s challenges associated with complex systems

Depth as well as Multidisciplinary

Breadth

Critical Thinker, System Thinker,

Associative ThinkerAbility for Abstraction

Presence under Stress,Conflict Manager,Decision Maker, Communicator, Team builder,

Visionary, Mentor

Acquisition Planner, Contract Planner, Cost Estimator,

Schedule Estimator

Tailor Development Lifecycles,Knowledge of Technologies,

Knowledge of Mission,Knowledge of Domains

Functional

Programmatic Understanding

Leadership

Problem Solver

Environmental Understanding

Processes, Methods,

Techniques, Tools

Craftsman

Skills of aSystem Engineer with Moxie