The field of systems engineering is an interdisciplinary approach to product development which helps ensure that all elements of a product’s hardware and software work together to achieve the desired outcome. Systems engineering is particularly useful when dealing with complex products or applications that involve a lot of data, variables, or design fields. Examples include NASA’s design of the International Space Station (operated by five space agencies) and the exploration of Pluto by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft. This high-profile aerospace initiative’s success relied on meticulous planning, exact calculations, complete integration between the spacecraft, launch vehicle, and mission operations, and thorough management of all performance and budgetary aspects throughout the project’s lifecycle.

Similarly, the Global Positioning System (GPS), a space-based positioning, navigation, and timing service, required high-level systems engineering to oversee the design and integration of space, ground, and user components.

Other real-world examples of the implementation of systems engineering hit much closer to home.

Systems Engineering In Practice

In the design of new hardware and software products within the IT world, for example, systems engineers oversee development by understanding the system, its goals, and the interaction of all parts as a whole and balancing the needs of all stakeholders with organizational costs and risk. On the flip side, as it relates to users of hardware and software in an enterprise IT setting, systems engineers are tasked with understanding their organization’s business requirements and identifying the hardware and software elements that best meet their organization’s needs. They may also set up, configure, and maintain servers, administer the network, oversee security measures and response to cyber incidents, and document changes to the system for ongoing maintenance and auditing purposes.

Elsewhere, the field of autonomous vehicle design – which demands seamless integration between sensors, AI algorithms, control systems, and other components – relies on systems engineers to help meet performance, reliability, and safety goals. Systems engineers are also heavily involved in the fields of printed circuit board design, robotics, and utility power generation, delivery, control, and protection.

Across the board, contributions by systems engineers can significantly enhance a company’s product quality as well as its efficiency, financial performance, and speed to market. In the aerospace industry, for instance, systems engineering activities at Boeing were instrumental in reducing development time of the company’s 787 Dreamliner aircraft by 60% relative to previous models.

Demand for Systems Engineers

Based on the demonstrated value systems engineers bring to organizations, demand for the profession is increasing worldwide. Built In, a tech start-up platform, projects a 21% growth in these job opportunities between 2021 and 2031.

To accomplish an organization’s goals, systems engineers take a top-down approach and evaluate all parts of an entire integrated system to ensure that each aspect will work together to accomplish overall objectives. In that sense, because they must know a little bit about every component and process within a new product’s development, how all of these parts come together, and be able to see the big picture, systems engineers play a critical role similar to that of an orchestra conductor. Among their major tasks, systems engineers are typically involved with everything from design compatibility, definition of requirements, and project management to cost analysis, scheduling, upcoming system upgrades, maintenance requirements, and communications between the project’s engineers, managers, suppliers, and customers. As such, their work can have a significant impact on a project’s metrics.

Explore the Field of Systems Engineering with IEEE

Software & Hardware Configuration Management in Systems Engineering
This course program teaches essential configuration management core concepts and best practices for both hardware and software (starting with the requirements specified in the IEEE 828 standard) in order to help reduce an organization’s risk of a malicious attack and/or enable rapid response to an incident. Ideal for managers, practicing professionals, academics, undergraduates, and electrical engineers, the five-course program helps learners assess and improve existing organizational configuration management practices in systems engineering.

To learn more about accessing these courses for your organization, contact an IEEE Content Specialist today.

Interested in the course program for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network.

IEEE Software and Systems Engineering Standards Used in Aerospace and Defense
This course program explores systems and software engineering concepts for the aerospace and defense industries. Topics covered include the life cycle and engineering process, selection and application of appropriate IEEE standards, and methods of addressing complex issues through interrelated life cycle processes and other agile techniques within these specific industries. This five-program course is ideal for aerospace engineers, project managers, software engineers, government and defense professionals, and standards developers.

To learn more about accessing these courses for your organization, contact an IEEE Content Specialist today.

Interested in the course program for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network.

 

Resources

What is Systems Engineering? Jama Software.

Systems Engineering. Study Smarter.

Moiz, Abdul. (16 July 2024). What Is Systems Engineering? (With Steps and Skills). Indeed.

Powers, Jessica. (7 December 2022). Systems Engineer. Built In.

(20 August 2024). What is an IT Systems Engineer? Guru.

How Can Systems Engineering Improve Aerospace Engineering? LinkedIn.

Andersen, Grady. (2 February 2024). The Impact of Systems Engineering on Various Industries. MoldStud.

Configuration management is a practice that helps identify changes to enterprise IT systems over time to ensure that all systems are working properly, meeting performance expectations, and complying with governance and regulatory policies.

As a result— and in light of all the apps, networks, servers, storage tools, edge devices, cloud options, and security patches currently in play— configuration management is an invaluable maintenance tool that’s critical within a modern enterprise IT system.

Simply put, “configuration management is a systems engineering process used to track and control IT resources and services across an enterprise,” says industry expert Stephen Bigelow of TechTarget. By establishing configuration standards for each asset, business/IT leaders can apply these standards to the setup of other servers or workstations in their network, a measure which will alert leaders of any issues that may require updates, reconfiguration, or patches to help promote consistency across the organization.

The Growing Need for Configuration Management

In the last several years, two major developments have created a greater need for configuration management than ever. These include the rise of cyber attacks and changing workspace dynamics.

According to a recent study by the Ponemon Institute, 54% of organizations surveyed claimed to have experienced a cyber attack in the previous 12 months. Another 52% reported an increase in cyber attack activity relative to the prior year. NETSCOUT’s 2020 Threat Intelligence Report findings confirmed these trends noting that hackers now attack worldwide targets 26,000 times a day. (This is equivalent to once every three seconds.) Cybersecurity Ventures predicts this cyber hacking landscape will amount to over US$10 trillion in annual costs by 2025.

The rise in the number and severity of cyber attacks to organizations and their enterprise systems in recent years has been further exacerbated by the shift to more remote work since the pandemic. A recent article in Forbes confirmed that in 2023, over 40% of the workforce either worked exclusively from home or in a hybrid situation involving some days at home and some days from the office. (This is nearly double the level of that activity in 2019, according to the National Institutes of Health).

As a result of this societal shift in the workplace dynamic, IT departments no longer have ready access to or sole control over all of their company’s computers — many of which employees may have set up themselves with software that’s not up to date with current security patches or antivirus protection. A recent report from Malwarebytes revealed that remote workers exposed companies to cyber threats and caused security breaches in 20% of the organizations they surveyed during the pandemic. To make matters worse, CyberTalk found that it takes organizations with remote workers nearly two months longer to identify and address cyber breaches than organizations with in-office workforces.

All of the above realities have contributed to a workplace landscape that requires greater IT maintenance and configuration management practices than ever for standardization and security.

Incorporating Configuration Management (CM)

Companies establish configuration management systems by considering how their software will evolve and be utilized over time. After creating a CM “baseline” of system settings that will enable the detection of changes, they must then institute a process by which they’ll determine whether those changes comply with policy and will be allowed or not based on testing, monitoring, and auditing.

When instituted proactively, organizations can accrue many benefits from the automated tools that run as part of a CM program. For example, configuration management code can

• automatically update software across an enterprise,
• restore system information quickly in the event of a glitch or system crash,
• and formally document all of these developments.
  

This allows a company’s IT professionals to use their time more productively and to deploy new software and software updates more consistently across their organizations.

In addition, by optimizing IT workflows and potentially helping to prevent an error, crash, or cyber attack, a robust configuration management system can reduce the cost of operating an IT network. As a result, many experts identify configuration management as one of the most important technology trends taking shape in organizations worldwide.

Reduce Your Risk Through Proactive CM

Developed by IEEE Educational Activities in conjunction with the IEEE Computer Society, Configuration Management: Core Concepts for Building Reliable Software is a new course which examines the current version of the IEEE Configuration Management Standard. (This standard, IEEE 828-2012, establishes the minimum requirements for processes for configuration management in systems and software engineering). The course explains what configuration management is and details the traditional CM processes of configuration identification, status accounting, change control, and configuration audit. It also explains the essential CM processes currently used in many organizations to establish and protect the integrity of a product or product component throughout its lifespan.

This course is ideal for managers, practicing IT professionals, academics, undergraduates, and electrical engineers. It is part of the Software & Hardware Configuration Management in Systems Engineering eLearning program, which also includes four other courses:

• Configuration Management: Optimizing Software Development Lifecycles
• Configuration Management: Supporting Agile Methodology Development
  
• Configuration Management: Emerging Practices and Applications
  
• Configuration Management: Organizational Assessment and Improvement

Resources

Law, Marcus.  (20 December 2023).  Top 10: Technology Trends for 2024. Technology.

(22 June 2023). What is Configuration Management? Red Hat.

(4 March 2021). 7 Best Practices for Configuration Management. Tanium.

Garza, Megan. (2 June 2023). 80 Cybersecurity Statistics and Trends [Updated 2023]. Varonis.

Brooks, Chuck. (5 March 2023). Cybersecurity Trends & Statistics For 2023; What You Need to Know. Forbes.

Haan, Katherine. (12 June 2023). Remote Work Statistics and Trends in 2024. Forbes.

Silver, Hilary. (2 March 2023). Working from Home: Before and After the Pandemic. National Institutes of Health.

(29 September 2023). What is Configuration Management and How Does It Work? Indeed.

BasuMallick, Chiradeep. (18 October 2022). What is Configuration Management? Working, Tools, and Importance. Spiceworks.

DDoS Threat Intelligence Report: Issue 11. NETSCOUT.

Although 2024 has only just begun, it is already shaping up to be an active year. Across industries, powerful tech trends are emerging that will impact both today and tomorrow. With this in mind, it is crucial to stay informed, be proactive, and invest in your own development. Doing so ensures you bring the most current thinking and best engineering practices to your workplace and career.

To help, here are several top tech trends of 2024, shared by leading experts, along with targeted IEEE course programs to support your continuing education journey. Stay ahead, and let IEEE guide you toward a productive year.

Data Privacy

First, data privacy remains a growing concern. A 2023 Pew Research Center study found that 67% of respondents had little understanding of how companies use their data, while 81% expressed concern. As personal data is increasingly collected, sold, and exposed to breaches, mechanisms to protect privacy are more important than ever.

IEEE Resource: Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age (Four-Course Program)
Brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, this four-course program provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context, how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy. Learn More>>

Internet of Things (IoT) Security

Next, IoT security is critical. With 15 billion devices connected worldwide—expected to double by 2030—each smart device becomes a data endpoint. As a result, protecting networks and hardware through IoT security techniques has never been more urgent.

IEEE Resource: All About IoT Security (Six-Course Program)
Developed by IEEE Educational Activities with support from IEEE Internet of Things Technical Community, this six-course program is designed to provide learners with a broad overview of IoT security. It starts with challenges such as malware and botnets followed by vulnerabilities, network monitoring, setting up of testbeds, and application of blockchain in IoT security. Learn More>>

Energy Efficiency/Sustainability

Experts agree that the continued development of sustainable electricity sources will not only contribute to energy efficiency goals but ensure greater accessibility to energy worldwide. According to Liz Centoni, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager, Applications at Cisco, “the fast-emerging category of energy networking, which combines the capabilities of software-defined networking and an electric power system made up of direct-current microgrids, will contribute to energy efficiency [and optimize] power usage, distribution, transmission, and storage.”

Microgrids (local, self-sufficient energy systems designed to support a defined community of users), as well as minigrids (smaller-scale microgrids designed to distribute electricity generated by such renewable sources as solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage, hydropower, and diesel generators), will be especially critical for the estimated 750-800 million people worldwide who currently have no access to electricity. Two-thirds of this number live in sub-Saharan Africa.

IEEE Resource: Minigrids in Africa (Four-Course Program)
In this training, learners will explore the context and roles for minigrids in Africa, as well as appropriate technologies, maintenance, sustainability, operational considerations for connecting to national grids, and regulatory and policy considerations. Learn More>>

High-Performance Computing

Though high-performance computing has been used for decades in academic and government settings, the recent proliferation in the quantity of data that’s become available and shared across an increasingly expanding number of hardware and software touchpoints is driving the demand for greater computing power. Thanks to the broad range of mission-critical applications for high-performance computing— including weather forecasting, healthcare/drug development, quantum mechanics, climate research, and more— experts confirm that there will be an ongoing need for data to be processed at incredibly high speeds of quadrillions of calculations per second and even faster.

IEEE Resource: High Performance Computing Technologies, Solutions to Exascale Systems, and Beyond (Five-Course Program)
This course program, developed in partnership with IEEE Future Directions, focuses on high-performance computing, how to address challenges and solutions in the Exascale era, the leading edge of HPC research, and more. Learn More>>

High-Efficiency Wi-Fi

According to telecom expert Shaun Carlson of Arvig, “the sixth generation of Wi-Fi networks— dubbed Wi-Fi 6 and technically known as [IEEE Standard] 802.11ax— promises major improvements in the capacity and capability of wireless networks” relative to the previous generation. Benefits of Wi-Fi 6 include up to 40% faster connectivity/speed for supported devices, increased network capacity through the use of multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology, and greater efficiency that conserves battery power. “As more Wi-Fi 6-certified devices hit the market – from routers to laptops and more,” said Carlson, “it’s a good time for businesses to consider how their networks can accommodate Wi-Fi 6.”

IEEE Resource: IEEE 802.11ax: An Overview of High-Efficiency Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6) (Two-Course Program)
In this training, learners will gain an overview of the features and optimizations introduced by IEEE 802.11ax to the Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, which led to these improvements. Learn More>>

Configuration Management

The growing threat of cyber attacks involving ransomware, malware, computer worms, and other nefarious forms of software continues to rise to the point where an attack now occurs every 39 seconds at a cost of US$6 billion globally (and potentially over US$10 billion by 2025).  Experts report that 95% of cyber security breaches are a result of human error and the action of users who unknowingly view or interact with bad actors/sites and expose their system(s) to malicious code.  As a result, configuration management— an IT process that establishes configuration standards for each asset in a company’s network, automatically alerting business leaders of any issues that require updates, reconfiguration, or patches and promoting consistency across the network— is becoming an increasingly standard approach that companies are employing to reduce their vulnerability to cyber threats.

IEEE Resource: Software & Hardware Configuration Management in Systems Engineering (Five-Course Program)
Developed with the IEEE Computer Society, this course program teaches essential configuration management (CM) core concepts for both hardware and software starting with requirements specified in IEEE Standard 828. Learn More>>

Time-Sensitive Networking

Housed within the family of IEEE 802 Standards, time-sensitive networking enables data traffic of time-critical applications to be carried over a network shared by various kinds of applications. It is increasingly delivering the benefits of speed, accuracy, and reliability to a broad range of industries, from industrial automation and manufacturing to automotive and aerospace, telecommunications, entertainment, and more.

IEEE Resource: New Course on Time-Sensitive Networking!
Virtual Local Area Network Bridging with TSN Enhancements introduces the components of network architecture that play a vital role in time-sensitive networking (TSN), and which provide the tools needed by network architects to properly architect networks to support the delivery of data for time-sensitive applications. Learn More>>

 

Resources

Law, Marcus.  (20 December 2023).  Top 10: Technology Trends for 2024. Technology.

(8 January 2024). 20 Tech Experts on The Tools And Trends That Will Dominate 2024. Forbes.

Cozzi, Laura, Wetzel, Daniel, Tonolo, Gianluca, and Hyppolite II, Jacob. (3 November 2022). For the First Time in Decades, the Number of People Without Access to Electricity is Set to Increase in 2022. International Energy Agency.

Mcclain, Colleen, Faverio, Michelle, Anderson, Monica, and Park, Eugenie. (18 October 2023). How Americans View Data Privacy. Pew Research Center.

Vailshery, Lionel Sujay. (27 July 2023). Number of Internet of Things (IoT) Connected Devices Worldwide from 2019 To 2023, With Forecasts from 2022 to 2030. Statista.

Becher, Brooke. (5 October 2023). IoT Security: What It Is and Why It’s Important. Built In.

Carlson, Shaun/Arvig.  (26 April 2022). Wi-Fi 6 is Here: The 3 Biggest Advantages of Upgrading Your Business Network. Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

Boskamp, Elie. (15 June 2023). 30 Crucial Cybersecurity Statistics [2023]: Data, Trends and More. Zippia.

(1 August 2022). What Is Configuration Management and Why Is It Important? UpGuard.