Systems Engineering: Program Empowerment for 21st Century Aerospace Projects

The inclusion of talented systems engineers in all stages of a project's life cycle can turn 21st century challenges into successes. The early application of systems engineering is a proven way to reduce overall project cost and completion time. To take advantage of all of systems engineering's benefits, qualified systems engineers must be placed in both lead and supporting project roles. However, due to the high demand for their talent and steep learning curve for new engineers, skilled systems engineers can be difficult to obtain and retain for the entire project life cycle. To prepare for the future, companies should invest in the development of new systems engineers by combining on-the-job training and formal systems engineering instruction with best practices centered on broad SDLC exposure, big-picture understanding, and strong mentorship. However, 21st century challenges will arise regardless of an organization's readiness to overcome them. When this happens, systems engineering consultants can empower an organization by providing the right skills when and where they are needed most. Systems engineering and its practitioners are extremely valuable resources for today's aerospace projects and will continue to be essential in the exciting technological future ahead.