Annual Systems Engineering Conference
Date: 8th to 10th November 2010
Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Heythrop Park Resort, Enstone, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
“Systems Engineering: Adding Value in Challenging Times”
We live in challenging times - budgets are shrinking, and customers are increasingly looking for value-for-money solutions, with the added complication of a perceived shortage of systems engineers across many industry sectors.
These are the challenges that Systems Engineering needs to address:
* driving down costs by effectively managing uncertainty on projects
* developing novel solutions that address the actual stakeholder problems
* promoting a systems approach as the cornerstone of good engineering practiceINCOSE UK invites you to attend ASEC 2010 and share your views on how the Systems Engineering community can move things forward.
ASEC 2010’s new format offers a mixture of keynote speakers representing the challenges of our increasingly “Systems World”, paper presentations giving an insight into some of the real world situations where INCOSE UK members are adding value, invited speaker sessions highlighting the best of the technical activities of INCOSE UK, workshops to allow smaller groups to look at a topic in detail and finally tutorials providing opportunities to learn more about Systems Engineering techniques and approaches.
This year’s theme considers the value of Systems Engineering in ‘Challenging Times’. The ‘Value’ of Systems Engineering in this context includes:
* Applying a Systems Approach to complex real world ‘System of Systems’ problems. Our first keynote speaker, Professor Brian Collins - Chief Scientific Adviser,
Department for Transport, will talk about the challenges of an integrated approach to ground transport, rail and infrastructure. We will also consider the challenges of dealing with System of Systems properties such as Safety and Resilience.* How to get the most value out of Systems Engineering in engineering or service delivery organisations. Our second keynote speaker, Peter Price - Director of Engineering and Technology (Civil Aerospace) at Rolls-Royce, will talk about the role of Systems Engineering within his organisation. We will also have sessions on Systems Engineering skills, competencies and case studies from across the INCOSE community.
* Getting the most value from specific Systems Engineering activities. This will include the work of some of the INCOSE UK technical working groups, together with detailed workshops and tutorials. These will be complemented by an exhibition of Systems Engineering suppliers, tool vendors and specialist consultancies.
There are 2 sessions relating to TRAK:
Day 1: 11:10 - 11:50 Nic Plum & Chris Lowe Human Factors - On the Right TRAK?
Nic Plum - Eclectica Systems Ltd.
Chris Lowe - Liv Systems Ltd.
This presentation is about applying a user-centred design (UCD) approach to unusual things: the design of a UK rail industry architectural framework called TRAK and its use for Human Factors work in a challenging Systems Engineering environment.
This architectural framework, if it is to be usable, has to address a number of challenges. The framework needs to unite or integrate the different stakeholder viewpoints on the same underlying system or problem. The framework also needs to be usable by these different stakeholders.
In applying UCD, the emphasis has been placed on consistency, simplicity and ease of use, and as a system it is essential that not only does it embed HF principles in its design but also that it should support the practical needs of Systems Engineering disciplines. For this reason, we will also describe how TRAK supports the needs of practitioners with reference to studies conducted within the Rail Industry.
Day 1 13:30 - 15:00 Colin Wood et al TRAK - An Architecture Framework for Rail
Colin Wood - London Underground Ltd., Capital Programmes Directorate
Nic Plum - Eclectica Systems Ltd.
Andy Pryor - SEA Ltd.
Systems Engineering extols, amongst other things, the virtues of having greater control and awareness of interfaces, sometimes called Interface Management. Systems Architecting is the activity of choice for delivering managed interfaces. Systems architecting of complex systems within and across different contractual boundaries requires a common architectural description language – aka an architecture framework.
While other sectors have been applying architecture frameworks for years, the rail sector has largely ignored them, perhaps thinking that they are over-complicated, another bureaucratic layer and just too difficult to roll-out successfully. It may have a point…
... but TRAK is different. It is easy for small, medium and large enterprises alike to get to grips with. It was developed by rail professionals for rail professionals. It is system-centric and has just enough to get the job done. Its open source means anyone can download it freely from the internet and start producing productive systems architecture diagrams straightaway. What is more, they are re-usable and shareable with partners.
This lively 60 minute joint presentation will explain TRAK and explore three case studies:
* An implementation of TRAK using Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect;
* Applying TRAK to interface management for the London Underground Sub-Surface Railway Upgrade;
* Applying TRAK to developing a functional architecture model of the UK railway.
Further information can be found at on the INCOSE UK Chapter’s website
