Agile is a popular and growing software development approach. It promotes a focus on the product rather than the project plan. This model is very attractive for many reasons and teams are adopting it across the defense industry. However, traditional government contracts and project management are entirely plan-driven. Can you really be agile in a plan-driven world?
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The Role of the Human Systems Integrator
This article is required reading for anyone who needs to hire, wants to become, or is going to be working with an HSI expert. Understand what the job entails, the key skills required, and how it relates to the rest of the systems engineering effort.
Read MoreThe Value of HSI
The application of human systems integration (HSI) throughout a project results in improved system performance, reduced lifecycle cost, reduced development risk, and no increase in development cost when executed effectively.
Read MoreIs Human Systems Integration Different from Human Factors Engineering?
DoD acquisition policy requires Human Systems Integration (HSI). Various human-centered engineering approaches are also gaining traction outside of military projects. But is HSI just a fancier way of saying Human Factors Engineering (HFE)?
Read MoreHuman Systems Integration: The Basics
Human systems integration (HSI) is a systems engineering function with the goal of optimizing system performance and cost across the entire system lifecycle. It ensures that the human elements of the system are given at least as much consideration as any other component across the entire project. HSI is a relatively new and often misunderstood term. Here are the basics:
Read MoreWhy you should use a writing coach (even if you’re already a good writer)
My first grad school paper was a pretty straightforward assignment with a three-page limit. There was so much to the topic1 that I wrote five pages without even thinking about it. I thought it would be easy to pare down but, try as I might, I could not get it below the limit without removing key points. I was a decent writer and had even worked professionally as a technical author, but I was really struggling.
Read MoreMateriel
Materiel, more commonly matériel in US English
Wikipedia entry on “Materiel”
Materiel comes from the French, hence the accented e (which, despite the dictionary definitions cited by Wikipedia, isn’t commonly used in practice). Do a something search for the term and you’ll get a googol1 of results comparing the definitions of materiel and material, but nothing to help the curious engineer or budding acquisition professional understand the practical usage of the term.
Read MoreHow the Department of Defense Influences Systems Engineering Practice
The title of this post is slightly misleading. The Department of Defense (DoD) doesn’t just influence systems engineering practice, it practically dictates it. And the reason is simple: The DoD acquires more types of systems and more complicated systems than any other organization in the world1 Read More