Systems engineering

and
project management
David Morris
Department of National Defence
INCOSE (Canada) Conference
15 Nov14
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Agenda

Cultures
Dysfunctions
Interferences
The Systems Engineer
The Project Manager
Integration

Independent Cultures
Project
Planning and control
Balance scope, time, cost, and quality

Product
Development, design and production, quality

Project Management
Project Domain
Bottom line
Quality first to go?

Leader and Manager

Im accountable for the success of the entire
project and all aspects of it.

Project Management

Systems Engineering
Product domain
SE is responsible for the technical success
of the program.
Optimal solutions
Because it can be done

Systems Engineering Culture

Technical analysis and control emphasizing

technical quality as opposed to financial and
schedule concerns.

Dysfunction
Focus often shifts from the customer or end user to the
individual practitioners perceived professional turf.
project managers and systems engineers view the
stakeholder problem entirely from within their own
disciplinary perspectives.
Failed procurements (money, schedule, product)

One Option
The Universal PM
Planning and Control of project including the
soft side or people side
Completely fulfill the Systems Engineering
role
Conduct the quality assurance functions
Configuration Management
Systems Test

For smaller projects, maybe

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Another Option
Engineer as PM

Lack program level vision.

Technical Leader
Micromanages technical aspects.
Focused on technical problem and not
make the best programmatic decision.
May not have the discipline to manage
rigorously
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Before Dysfunction Sets In

Survey by PMI-INCOSE examined the prevalence of
Unproductive Tension between Project Management and
Systems Engineering
About 30% of respondents indicate some or significant
unproductive tension.
Systems engineers are more likely to say there is unproductive tension between
the roles than program managers

Smaller organizations (below $500 million annual

revenue) and large organizations (above $5 billion) are
particularly at risk of suffering from unproductive tension.
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Tension Sources
Lack of integrated planning (57%)
Not having clearly defined authority (44%)
Systems engineers are more likely to attribute the tension to unclear expectation
and authority than program managers

Conflicting practices between the two roles

(41%).

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Integration
Higher levels of integration support effectiveness of
collaboration between SE and Program Management.
Better integrating project management and systems
engineering significantly lowers unproductive tension.
Fully integrated organizations show almost no or only
minimal unproductive tension.

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Integration
Authorities
Planning

Practices
Communication

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Authorities
Project Management
Overall Results
Goals & Objectives
Program & Project Risk
External Supplier Relations
Lifecycle Planning

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Authorities
Systems Engineering
Stakeholder Requirements Definition
Requirements Analysis
Architectural Design
Implementation
Integration Verification Validation
Transition Operation Maintenance Disposal

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Authorities
PM-owned, SE-supported

Project Planning
shared effectively
Project Assessment
Project Control
Decision Making
Risk and Opportunity Management
Configuration Management
Information Management
Resource Management
Quality Management
Acquisition Supply
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An Authority Model

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Complement of Skills and

Areas of Knowledge
Project Leader
Business and
Management

Technical Leader
Broad Technical
Skills

Ref: Wiley, Systems Engineering Principles and Practice, 2003, Fig. 1-3

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Systems Engineering Changes

Continuous zigzagging between systems
engineeringthe product domainand
project managementthe project domain.
More Project Management aware
SE as communicator

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Project Management Concept

Requirement for High Speed Sailboat

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Systems Engineering Concept

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In Combination

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Closing
Systems Engineering and Project
Management cultures
Project dysfunction
Systems Engineering has to wear two hats

Systems Engineering as communicator

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