Now that we have discussed about Systems in great detail, lets have a look at how such real-world systems are developed and deployed. For clarity, lets take the example of the Railway transportation system in your city. What is the first thought that comes to your mind - when you hear ‘Railway Transportation System’?
Yes, you guessed it right - bring out our good old method of analysing systems - list out the elements, inter-connections and purpose. If you think closely, the rail transport system contains - passengers, frieght and passenger cars, engines, rail leylines, the power network, railway stations, staff, motormen, carsheds, maintainance personnel among many others. Some are humans whereas some are inanimate.
The inter-relations are - passengers and staff depend on the railway network to commute to their workplace and livelihood respectively, the railway depends on the passengers for revenue, on the freight manufacturers for manufacturing cars, engines, on the government for the necessary clearances and many other connections like these exist. And finally, the purpose; which here too; just as other real-world systems is multi-fold, right from economic development, creating easier and cheap options to commute to creating new employment opportunities etc.
Seeing the expanse of this system, by now you must have realised how difficult it must have been to design, deploy, successfully implement such a highly functional, inter-dependent and complicated system for public use. That is exactly why we developed an independent science, a science that characterises and outlines the processes of conceptualizing, designing, deploying, maintaining and retiring successful – not only engineering systems, but any type of systems, and is popularly known as – Systems Engineering!
“Or should I say ‘Art’, because indeed as designing a highly functional product or a system is equally an art as it is engineering or science! Your choice!”
By now, it must be evident to you that Systems Engineering is a highly inter-disciplinary science. Just like in the example above, a lot of people from diverse background are needed to conceptualize and deploy highly complicated systems like these. We will have a look at each of the processes we follow for every system - right from the birth of an idea - upto deploying it in the real-world and successfully operating it!
Fasten your seat belts! The ride’s gonna be exciting!!