1 The Seven Samurai of Systems Engineering Dealing with the Complexity of 7 Interrelated Systems James N Martin Systems Engineering Conference SEDC 2012 at GMU Washington, DC 15 May 2012
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1
The Seven Samurai of
Systems Engineering
Dealing with the Complexity
of 7 Interrelated Systems
James N Martin Systems Engineering Conference
SEDC 2012 at GMU
Washington, DC
15 May 2012
2
3
A Film by Kurosawa (1954)
• Tale of heroism and sacrifice
– Samurai warriors hired by a
Japanese village to protect against
a band of marauding thieves
• Some say…
– “one of the greatest masterpieces
in the history of the motion
picture”
– “what cinema is meant to be”
4
The American Wild West Version (1960)
• Starring
– Yul Brynner (leader of the 7)
– Steve McQueen
– James Coburn
– Charles Bronson
• Some call it…
– “the best Western ever made”
5
Context
System
(S1)
Problem (P1)
• First, there is a Problem to be solved
• The Problem is part of the Context System
6
Context
System
(S1)
Problem (P1) Context System Elements
Pre-Existing “Solutions”
Physical Environment (air, land, sea)
Regulatory Environment (laws,
regulations, customs, ethics, stigmas)
Information (data, signals, noise)
Knowledge (information, knowledge,
wisdom, “best” practices)
Anti-Knowledge (misinformation, lies, stupidity)
Emotions (love, hate, delight, disappointment)
Aesthetics (elegance, beauty, cultural expectations)
But More Elements . . .
7
Context
System
(S1)
Problem (P1)
Intervention
System (S2)
intended to address
Systems Engineers try to
conceive of a way to
“suppress” the Problem
8
Context
System
(S1)
Problem (P1)
Intervention
System (S2)
intended to address
Transport people quickly
over long distances.
Collect images quickly
over entire earth.
Problems System Solutions
Passenger Jet
Imagery Satellite
9
Realization
System (S3)
needs to understand
Context
System (S1)
Intervention
System (S2)
Problem (P1)
intended to address
The Intervention System must be:
Designed & Developed
Tested & Qualified
Produced & Deployed
10
Realization
System (S3)
needs to understand
Context
System (S1)
Intervention
System (S2)
Problem (P1)
intended to address
Airbus + Air France +
Airplane Standards + etc
Boeing + Suppliers +
US Gov’t + Regulations
+ Imaging Technology +
Physics Knowledge + etc
Realization Systems
Passenger Jet
Imagery Satellite
Intervention Systems
11
Context
System (S1)
Realization
System (S3)
Intervention
System (S2)
Problem (P1)
intended to address
needs to understand
Deployed System is
often different from the
“as-designed” system
Deployed
System (S4)
becomes
12
Context
System (S1)
Realization
System (S3)
Intervention
System (S2)
Problem (P1)
intended to address
needs to understand
Deployed
System (S4)
becomes
Boeing
747
• 747-100 s/n 345
• 747-200 s/n 678
• 747-419 s/n 321
• …
13
Modified Context
System (S1’)
becomes
needs to
understand
Context
System (S1)
Realization
System (S3)
Intervention
System (S2)
Deployed
System (S4)
Problem (P1)
intended to address
becomes
needs to understand
14
Context
System (S1)
Realization
System (S3)
Intervention
System (S2)
Modified Context
System (S1’)
Deployed
System (S4)
Problem (P1)
intended to address
becomes
becomes
needs to understand
needs to
understand
Problem (P2)
may
cause
15
Context
System (S1)
Realization
System (S3)
Intervention
System (S2)
Modified Context
System (S1’)
Deployed
System (S4)
Problem (P1)
Problem (P2)
may
cause
intended to address
becomes
becomes
needs to understand
needs to
understand
Collaborating
System (S5)
collaborates
with
16
Context
System (S1)
Realization
System (S3)
Intervention
System (S2)
Modified Context
System (S1’)
Deployed
System (S4)
Problem (P1)
Problem (P2)
may
cause
Collaborating
System (S5)
collaborates
with
intended to address
becomes
becomes
needs to understand
needs to
understand
Sustainment
System (S6)
sustains
may need
to develop
or modify
17
Context
System (S1)
Modified Context
System (S1’)
Deployed
System (S4)
Problem (P1)
becomes
Competing
System (S7)
may address
competes
with
18
Context
System (S1)
Realization
System (S3)
Intervention
System (S2)
Competing
System (S7)
Modified Context
System (S1’)
Deployed
System (S4)
Sustainment
System (S6)
Problem (P1)
Problem (P2)
may
cause
Collaborating
System (S5)
collaborates
with
intended to address
becomes
may address
competes
with
becomes
sustains
may need
to develop
or modify
needs to understand
needs to
understand
The 7
Samurai
19
Systems engineers focus
too much on one system —
the Intervention System
Should use this as a
framework to encourage
true “systems” thinking
The 7 Samurai frame-
work can lead to more
holistic application of
SE methods and tools
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