Architectural Complexity of Systems Engineering

A special issue of Systems (ISSN 2079-8954). This special issue belongs to the section "Systems Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2024) | Viewed by 1243

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, College of Engineering, University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), Huntsville, AL 35899, USA
Interests: model-based systems engineering; systems integration; systems science

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The discipline of systems engineering emerged in the 1950s in response to the development of large and complicated systems. These systems are composed of a large number of parts that interact in a non-simple way, with unpredictable properties or behaviors, and are often be characterized as “complex”. Complexity is studied across diverse disciplines including information theory, computer science, biology, social sciences, and engineered systems. The variety of disciplines and authors studying complexity highlights the potential for unifying lessons that might be discovered but also renders the study of complexity more difficult as the vast literature does not follow a standard set of terms or use formal semantics.

The focus of this Special Issue is the description of foundational characteristics of complexity that transcend application domains analogous to the seminal work of Von Bertalanffy on systems theory. The objective is to provide insights into the architecture of complexity in systems engineering and enable movement beyond heuristics and general strategies for understanding and dealing with complexity in systems engineering. Toward this end, this Special Issue invites articles presenting, among other things, the following:

  • Complexity metrics and measures, both theoretical and applied;
  • Comparative analyses of more vs. less complex systems;
  • Case studies of complex systems and systems complexity;
  • Literature review of complexity in systems engineering;
  • Manifested characteristics of complexity in systems, both beneficial and detrimental;
  • The necessity of complexity, or alternatives to complex systems with implications;
  • Applications of AI/ML in the study of systems complexity.

Dr. Lawrence Dale Thomas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • systems engineering
  • systems architecture
  • systems integration
  • systems complexity
  • systems design
  • systems analysis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

27 pages, 4426 KiB  
Article
Conceptual Modeling for Understanding and Communicating Complexity During Human Systems Integration in Manned–Unmanned Systems: A Case Study
by Tommy Langen, Kristin Falk and Gerrit Muller
Systems 2025, 13(3), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13030143 - 21 Feb 2025
Viewed by 543
Abstract
Informal soft system methodologies hold a significant role in developing complex systems. They bridge system knowledge and sensemaking among heterogeneous stakeholders. This article investigates the application of conceptual models to support such communication and understanding among transdisciplinary stakeholders, ensuring the translation of customer [...] Read more.
Informal soft system methodologies hold a significant role in developing complex systems. They bridge system knowledge and sensemaking among heterogeneous stakeholders. This article investigates the application of conceptual models to support such communication and understanding among transdisciplinary stakeholders, ensuring the translation of customer requirements and needs into suitable engineered systems. This article presents a case study incorporating observations, interviews, and a review of conceptual models utilized by an aerospace and defense case company for the development of future Manned–Unmanned Systems. It explores how practitioners employ conceptual modeling to support the Human Systems Integration (HSI) aspects of technological, organizational, and human elements of Manned–Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) systems. The results indicate that practitioners utilize a mix of informal and formal types of conceptual models when developing Human Systems Integration aspects of the system. Formal models, such as sequence diagrams, requirement overviews, and functional flow models, are applied when addressing technology-focused aspects. Organization-centered modeling leverages representations like stakeholder maps and swimlane diagrams, while people-centered aspects rely more on informal techniques such as storytelling and user personas. The findings suggest a potential underestimation by practitioners of the value of quantification in conceptual modeling for Manned–Unmanned Systems development. This study highlights the important role that conceptual modeling methods play, particularly focusing on the informal aspects. These methods are instrumental in enhancing effective communication and understanding among transdisciplinary stakeholders. Furthermore, they facilitate mutual understanding, which is essential for fostering collaboration and shared vision in the development of complex systems. This facilitates deeper insights and reasoning into HSI for MUM-T applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Architectural Complexity of Systems Engineering)
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