Systems Engineering Simplified

Designed to give non-engineers an understanding of systems engineering, Systems Engineering Simplified presents a gentle introduction to the subject and its importance in any profession. The book shows you how to look at any system as a whole and use this knowledge to gain a better understanding of where a system might break down, how to troubleshoot the issues, and then quickly resolve them. And does it all in a way that does not require sophisticated technical training or complicated mathematics.

The book takes a holistic approach to thinking about the complex systems, providing a deeper understanding of the underlying nature of the system and the vocabulary of systems engineering. The authors give you working knowledge of the processes used to design, build, test, operate, and maintain the systems that we depend on every day. They break down the systems engineering life cycle, describing in the simplest terms what should be done along the development process.

Although there are many facets of systems engineering, it can be explained as focusing on addressing why a system is needed, what the system must do, and then how the system will accomplish the task over the entire life of the system―in that order. This fundamental review covers the processes from beginning to end, in plain language, giving you an overview of systems engineering that you can translate into your work in any field.

Robert Cloutier, Clifton Baldwin, Mary Alice Bone