What is System Engineering?

Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems. It focuses on defining customer needs and required functionality early in the development cycle, documenting requirements, then proceeding with design synthesis and system validation while considering the complete problem: operations, performance, test, manufacturing, cost, and schedule. Systems engineering integrates all the disciplines and specialty groups into a team effort forming a structured development process that proceeds from concept to production to operation. Systems engineering commonly utilizes tools such as modeling and simulation to analyze system behavior and optimize designs. It is applied in a wide range of industries, including aerospace, defense, transportation, and healthcare, to manage complex projects and ensure that systems meet their intended objectives.