NS in SE - Pohlmann

Consideration of Natural Systems During Systems Engineering Processes

Abstract

The Natural Systems Working Group (NSWG) was founded and chartered in January, 2013. It has two major, long-term goals:

  • Facilitate increased dialog between SE and Natural Systems communities of practice

  • Influence SE processes to routinely consider and appropriately take advantage of Natural Systems data and concepts

Toward these goals, the NSWG engaged in a range of discussion and documentation activities over the last two years. Major activities included sponsoring a series of monthly community-of practice webinars and engaging in weekly telecons. Information from these activities has enabled creation of an initial practical set of conclusions and recommendations for consideration of Natural Systems data and concepts. This presentation introduces for discussion a set of principals and potential practices that are considered useful to the INCOSE community on why, when, and how the SE community should consider what we can learn from Natural Systems. Suggestions

are related to INCOSE SE Handbook processes.

Biography

Dr. Lawrence D. Pohlmann, now a mostly retired consultant living on a mountaintop in Western North Carolina, has been a practicing systems engineer for more than 30 years. He has participated in research and development for military ground and airborne systems, for space systems, and for information technology systems. He has worked in government, large and small industry contexts, and in academia. He has led and participated in process improvement activities for processes in systems engineering, software engineering, ergonomics, and business propagation.