ENGINEERING THE VIRTUAL OR COLLABORATIVE SOS. Issue 3 (21st November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Eric, Honour
• Is Part Of: Insight. Volume 19:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 67
• Page End: 69
• Publication Date: 2016-11-21
• Subjects: Systems engineering -- Periodicals; Systems engineering; Periodicals; 620.0011
• DOI: 10.1002/inst.12113
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2156-485X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The largest, most complex, and most prevalent systems of systems (SoS) are virtual or collaborative in nature. In such a SoS, there is no central authority to perform systems engineering. Yet, the virtual or collaborative SoS does grow, adapt, and evolve in response to the needs of the many stakeholders. Changes in the SoS happen because of many changes in the constituent systems (CS), with each change occurring when the CS owners deem it useful to change. The systems engineering activities in the CS can be used to guide and affect the SoS through a collaborative and competitive environment in which each CS systems engineer seeks to optimize the SoS behavior for their own purposes. This requires a different approach to the systems engineering activities, in which greater emphasis is on the higher‐level analysis, architecting, and quantification. This paper describes the modified systems engineering approach, showing how to engineer the SoS from within the scope of a CS.