John A. Thomas President-Elect INCOSE (2012) Senior Vice President & Chief System Engineer Booz Allen Hamilton Delaware Valley UPenn Presentation 8 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 “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 # 1Link # 3Link # 2 Link # 7 Link # 5 Link # 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 EngineChassisBody 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 DeltaParts j j = 1 n Development Commitment $ 500M Dev Cost = $ 200M Dev Cost = $ 90M Dev Cost = $ 110M Interface Development 3% = $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 DeltaParts j j = 1 n Unit Cost = $ 42,500 Unit Retail = $ 50,000 Cost = $ 15,500 Cost = $ 9,000 Cost = $ 12,000 Labor 3% = $ 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 Role Executed 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 Role Executed Implementation Teams Management Role Executed by a Management Team

10 System Engineer Management Team Build Component Teams SE&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 Toward a New Mindset - PMI Network Magazine Sept 2011

13 Technical Interpreter of Requirements Integration Manager & Strategist Sets Technical Vision and Standards for Analysis Correlates – Technical Scope with Work Activities Architect for Requirements Driven 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 Thinker Ability 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 a System Engineer with Moxie