Blog Archives

The AI team take a deep dive into C.J. Kikkert’s presentation to the Retired Engineers Group in Adelaide, Australia, February 2025. The presentation explores the feasibility of nuclear power within Australia’s energy transition. Kikkert, an electrical engineer with no vested interest in nuclear or renewable industries, analyzes nuclear power’s properties, costs, and timelines, comparing it to variable renewable energy (VRE) sources like solar and wind. The presentation questions nuclear power’s economic viability and its impact on grid … Continue reading →

The AI team take a deep dive into Prof Derek Hitchins’ book “putting systems to work”. The book presents a comprehensive approach to systems engineering, contrasting traditional “closed-system” methodologies with a novel “open-system” framework. The open-system approach emphasizes adaptability, cohesion, and the importance of human elements within systems. The text explores various methods for analyzing and designing complex systems, including soft systems methodology, cognitive mapping, and the use of generic reference models. A core concept … Continue reading →

The AI team take a deep dive into an excerpt from Tom Gilb’s updated book on stakeholder engineering, focusing on a method for systematically identifying, analyzing, and managing stakeholders and their requirements throughout a system’s lifecycle. The author emphasizes a unique definition of “stakeholder,” including non-human entities, and advocates for continuous stakeholder discovery and continuous analysis of their evolving needs. The text details methods for eliciting and prioritizing stakeholder requirements, utilizing quantitative techniques and tools … Continue reading →

The AI team take a deep dive into Derek K. Hitchins’ book, “Systems Engineering: A 21st Century Systems Methodology.” It comprehensively explores systems engineering principles and their application to diverse fields. The book uses a holistic approach, emphasizing the importance of understanding the interactions between system components and their environment. It covers various methodologies, including the Generic Reference Model (GRM) for system design and the Rigorous Soft Method (RSM) for problem-solving. The text also examines the role of human … Continue reading →

The AI team take a deep dive into a 2000 paper, presented at the 13th International Conference on Software & Systems Engineering and their Applications, which explores the communication breakdown between systems and software engineers. The authors argue that this lack of communication, stemming from differing training, backgrounds, and interpretations of terminology, significantly contributes to project failures. They analyze the distinct perspectives and methodologies of each engineering discipline, highlighting misunderstandings around concepts like “component” and … Continue reading →