INCOSE WEBINAR 49 – BUILDING A BUSINESS CASE FOR SYSTEMS ENGINEERING: THE 2012 SE EFFECTIVENESS STUDY

Date: 20 February 2013 Time: 15:00 UTC/ 8am PST

Presenter: Joseph Elm

General Webinar Details: Webinar 49 (Requires INCOSE Connect Login)

Abstract: This webinar summarizes the results of the 2012 SE Effectiveness Study performed by the National Defense Industrial Association, the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society, and the Software Engineering Institute. This study sought to provide quantitative evidence of the impact of systems engineering (SE) on project performance, as measured by satisfaction of cost, schedule, and technical requirements. The study collected data identifying the SE activities applied to development projects, and the performance of those projects, via an anonymous online survey. Survey responses were analyzed to identify relationships between SE activities and project performance. Results showed that projects deploying larger amounts of SE delivered significantly better performance. SE activities in the technical process areas of project planning, requirements development and management, verification, and product architecture showed the strongest relationships to project performance. These results were found for all projects, regardless of the degree of difficulty; however, the study showed that the impact of SE was even stronger for more challenging projects.

Biography: Joseph Elm is the Integrating Solutions Manager for the Research, Technology, and Systems Solutions program of the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. He has been engaged in the development of measures of SE effectiveness since 2003. Mr. Elm’s career has included engineering, project management, technical management, and executive management positions in companies within the aerospace, defense, and transportation industries. Mr. Elm holds a BSEE degree from Carnegie Mellon University and an MSEE degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

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