Architecting System Solutions in a Volatile Environment

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04/11/23

Filename.ppt | 1BOE 121003-491 / BOE 010207-001

Architecting System Solutions in a Volatile EnvironmentJames A. RobesSenior Technical Fellow

Copyright © 2007 Boeing. All rights reserved.

04/11/23


Abstract

This workshop will address the challenges and rewards of architecting balanced system solutions for applications with conflicting technical, financial, and political constraints. Examples from the presenter’s personal and professional lives will be illustrated. The effect of changing social, political, and technical environments on the development paradigm will be expatiated.


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Agenda

Today’s definition of “aerospace”

Historical Perspective

What we mean by “systems engineering”

What it means to be an “architect”

How I ended up here today

What I used to do

Changes in the aerospace environment

Where we’re going

Career paths and the Boeing Technical Fellowship

What I’m doing now

What I’ve learned

Why it’s rewarding

Process check


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Some “Aerospace” Definitions

From Random House, Webster’s College Dictionary: aerospace – n. 1. the atmosphere and the space beyond considered as a

whole. aerospace – n. 2. the industry concerned with the design and manufacture

of the aircraft, missiles, spacecraft, etc., that operate in aerospace. From practice:

aerospace – n. 1. what we do today: Network Centric Solutions / Systems of Systems

Air Traffic Management Future Combat Systems Homeland Security National Missile Defense

Platforms – commercial aircraft, fighters, tankers, C4ISR, Bombers, helicopters, unmanned aircraft, missiles, satellites.

Enormous variety in each category


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Historical Perspective

Individual Action

• The First Tools• Nascent Civilization

More Complex Systems

• Science• Engineering

Evolution of City States

• Public Works• Canals & Irrigation• Technical & Social

Complexity

Today’s Architecture

s

• Unprecedented Size & Scope• Network Centric Operations• Air Traffic Management• Homeland Security

The First Great

Architects

• Imhotep• Vitruvius• Daedalus

Collective Effort

• Craftsmanship• Specialization


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Some “Systems” Definitions

From Random House, Webster’s College Dictionary:

system – n. 1. an assemblage of things or parts forming a complex or unitary whole.

systems engineer – n. 1. an engineer who specializes in the design and implementation of production systems.

From practice:

system – n. 1. a collection of things working together to produce something greater.

2. a set of different elements so connected or related as to perform a function not performable by the elements alone.

systems engineering – n. 1. an interdisciplinary collaborative approach to derive, evolve, and verify a life cycle balanced system solution that satisfies customer expectations and meets public acceptability. Systems engineering is a generic problem solving process that provides the mechanisms for identifying and evolving the product and process definitions of a system.


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Systems Engineering at Boeing

1. A ProcessDefined, repeatable, with supporting assets

2. that ensures integration of Engineering disciplines

Design, Manufacturing, Supplier Management, Test,Product Support, etc.

3. and ensures integration among Disciplines/Functions

RequirementsDevelopment Disposal

4. to produce a System

integrated among all systems and components

5. applied over and addressing the entire

Life Cycle

of the product

Output (Phase Dependent)

Functional Analysis & Allocation

Design SynthesisVerification/ Validation Loop

Design Loop

Requirements Loop

Requirements Analysis

System

Analysis & Control

(Balance)

Control Loop

CustomerCustomerNeedsNeeds

BalancedBalancedProductProduct

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Systems Engineering Layered Context

The Trade Space

Top Level Requirements

Functional Allocation

Derived Requirements

Technology Forecasts

System Design

Engineering

Lower Level Requirements


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Some “Architecture” Definitions

From Random House, Webster’s College Dictionary:

architect – n. 1. a person who engages in the profession of architecture.

architecture – n. 1. the profession of designing buildings, open areas, communities, and other artificial constructions and environments.

From practice:

architecture – n. the science (analysis-based, factual, logical and, deductive) and art (synthesis based, intuitive, judgmental, and, inductive) of designing complex systems that meet the user’s need in the physical and social environment.

“The ideal architect should be a man of letters, a skilled draftsman, a mathematician, familiar with historical studies, a diligent student of philosophy, acquainted with music; not ignorant of medicine, learned in the responses of jurisconsults, familiar with astronomy and astronomical calculations.” – Vitruvius, 25 B.C.


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How I ended up here today

The Environment

Changed

• More system integration• Far Less Hardware Design

University of California at

Berkeley

• BSME 1972• MSME 1973

The Trade Study

• Ford Motor Company• Emolument• Interesting location• Job Security

The New Trade Study

• LMSC• Get Back to Work• Work Content• Emolument

The Reevaluation

• Watkins Johnson Co.• Develop the Right

Skills• Work Content• Emolument

The Relocation

• The Boeing Company• Maintain the Right Skills• Work Content• Location• Emolument

• The Arab Oil Embargo

• Family & Home• Laid Off!

The Environment

Changed

The Transition

• Transition to System Engineering

• New Skills

The Boeing Technical

Fellowship

• Technical Path


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What I used to do – Electronics Packaging

Detailed hardware design Requirements analysis Concept development Trade studies/design

analysis Detail design Initial production Design verification Flight Test

B-1B Pylon Control Unit


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System Development Environmental Changes

We Won the Cold War Control of the Electronics Industry

Acquisition Reform New Generation of Users

0

10

20

30

40

1980 1990 2000 2010

Piece parts -mil-spec % of

total

Equipment -military % oftotal avionics

Source: AvionicsMagazine, 01/01

Source:TACTech,’95

Per

cen

t

Defense Outlays As a Share of Gross Domestic Product

2

4

6

8

10

12

50 60 70 80 90 003.0

GDP (%)

4.4 4.7

11.9%9.1%

6.3%

Year

1994 Perry Memo• Streamline procurement of reduce cycle time

and cost• Strengthen technology/industrial base• Increased access to advanced technologies• Move away from the military specification

system

Not My Generation• Better Educated and More Aware of

Technology• Not Willing to Tackle a Difficult Job With

Obsolete Hardware• Useful Life Reduced to Correspond to

Desired Technology Refresh Cycle


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Aerospace EnvironmentDemanding Change

PastPast• Performance DrivenPerformance Driven• Multiple OpportunitiesMultiple Opportunities• Cold War EnvironmentCold War Environment• Focus on DeliveredFocus on Delivered

QualityQuality

1990s1990s• Affordability FocusAffordability Focus• Few OpportunitiesFew Opportunities• Sharpened ProductivitySharpened Productivity• Industry ConsolidationIndustry Consolidation• Aggressive CompetitionsAggressive Competitions

21st Century21st Century• ““Time to Market” FocusTime to Market” Focus• System-of-Systems SolutionsSystem-of-Systems Solutions• Commercial Practices and ProductsCommercial Practices and Products• Global MarketGlobal Market• Flexibility/AgilityFlexibility/Agility• Quality at Each Step of ProcessQuality at Each Step of Process

FCSFCSJTRSJTRS

FAB-TFAB-TGMDGMD

FightersTransport

HelicoptersHelicopters

SurveillanceSurveillance

CommunicationCommunication

Command & Command & ControlControl

Bombers

Weapons

LaunchLaunch



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How It Felt at the TimeRide the Wave or Die

IndustryChangesIndustryChanges

CancelledMIL SpecsCancelledMIL Specs

OpenArchitectureOpenArchitecture

CompetitorsCompetitors

AcquisitionReform

AcquisitionReform Loss of Level

Playing FieldLoss of LevelPlaying Field

PartsObsolescence

PartsObsolescence

CompetitiveAdvantage

CompetitiveAdvantage

RIPMilitary

Develop-ment

Paradigm

RIPMilitary

Develop-ment

Paradigm

Copyright © 2007 Boeing. All rights reserved. BOE 121003-491 / BOE 010207-001


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Geopolitical and Environmental Drivers

Dwindling natural resources and environmental concerns • Cleaner alternative

fuels• Reduced emissions

Hydrogen Fuel Airplane

Urban congestion and population growth will drive transportation integration and new modes of travel

Globalization and leisure travel growth require safety and efficiency • Breakthroughs in speed,

range, and comfort• New passenger convenience• Safe and affordable


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Where Boeing is going

InformationInformation

ServicesServices

Core Aerospace Products and Service

Advanced Space Access Advanced Space Access and Orbital Servicesand Orbital Services

Uninhabited Uninhabited Systems SolutionsSystems Solutions

Aviation Safety Aviation Safety Systems & ServicesSystems & Services

Resource Protection Resource Protection Systems & ServicesSystems & Services

Large scale systems Large scale systems integration solutionsintegration solutions


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System of SystemsArchitectures Definition

System of Systems :A “super-system” built with components that are complex, independent systems which interact to achieve a common purpose

Characteristics:• Independence ofcomponents

• Geographicallydistributed

• Evolutionary growth• Emergent capability• Unambiguous exchangeof information


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The Urgency for NCO Solutions

“… we must achieve: fundamentally joint, network-centric, distributed forces capable of rapid decision superiority and massed effects across the battlespace.”

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

"In the future, we can realize tremendous leverage through a network by sharing information and capabilities by turning data into information, information into knowledge, knowledge into decision-making, and decision-making into action."

James Albaugh, 2004

“I don’t want to wait for an 80% solution. What I need is a 20% solution now that gives me a 5% advantage over the enemy!”

Col John Coleman, USMC (Chief of Staff, First Marine Expeditionary Force, Operation Iraqi Freedom)

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Anticipating Customer Needs

Yesterday Tomorrow

TransformationPrograms

FCSFCS

JTRSJTRS

GMDGMD

FAB-TFAB-T

Fighters

Transport

Helicopters

Surveillance

Communication

Command & Control

Bombers

Weapons

Launch

Leverage systems integration and platform expertise

Today

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Information Needs are not just Military…

What is the enemy’s intent?Where is the enemy?

Where are my friends?Where am I?

Where are the kids?

Where are we?

What is the weather enroute?

Where am I?Where are the airplanes?

What is the best route?

Where am I?When will I arrive?What is my schedule?

What should I apply to my crops?How are the fields?

What is the weather?Where am I?

Where are my compatriots?What are the hazards?

Where are the dangers?Where am I?

• Knowledge LearningKnowledge Learning

• Comfort, PleasureComfort, Pleasure

• Decision SupportDecision Support

• Situational ControlSituational Control

• Situational Awareness Situational Awareness

• Safety/ProtectionSafety/Protection

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The Development Cycle

The Past

“Design it and forget it”

Pro-active continuous upgrades

The Target

Pro-active incremental upgrades

The Near Future

Reactive incremental upgrades

The Present


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The Technical Fellowship at Boeing

A career path choice --- we don’t force good engineers to become poor managers to advance.

Technical Leadership Path

Associate Technical Fellow

Technical Fellow

Senior Technical Fellow

Well defined evaluation factors and scoring criteria

“Communication Ability” and the others

Business Leadership Path

First level supervision

Midlevel management

Executive


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A trend in technical workforce composition

Technical Specialists/ Experts

“Breadth” of Technical Knowledge/ Experience

Growth on this axis is necessary for all “technical path” individuals.

“Depth” of Knowledge/ Experience

Log scale

“Deep Generalists”

“Breadth” of Technical Knowledge/ Experience

• “Tool Makers”• Information/Knowledge Gathers and Providers

• System Integrators• Product/service “Architects”

Minimum levelneeded tomastery

Technical Workforce Currently Future (5-10 yrs +)Technical Specialists 80-90 % 60- 70 % ?“Deep Generalists” 10-20 % 30- 40 % ?

“Bre

adth

” of B

usine

ss

Knowled

ge/E

xper

ience


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What I do now – Electronic Systems Packaging Architecture Development

Mechanical/Electrical trade studies provide derived requirements and design baseline

Trade studies driven by

Four Pillars

Cost as Independent Variable (CAIV)

Open Architecture

M/E trade studies establish “building codes” for an open architecture. Examples provided

High Power Module Form Factor / Cooling (For ICP and Array Electronics)

Line Replaceable Module (LRM) Connector System

ICP power distribution

Affordability Lethality/Survivability Supportability

DTC O&S Costs

Weight Volume PerformanceIntegrity/Reliability

Ease ofMaintenanc

e

Ease ofUpgrade


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What I do now – COTS Assembly Integration Strategy

Large Scale Systems

Integration

Lean Processes

Detailed Customer

Knowledge and Focus

Common Processes and Tools to Assure Affordable, Safe, Reliable Performance

• Requirements Tailoring• Safety, Reliability, Etc.• Configuration Management• Environmental Management

Market Shaping• Trade Studies• Customer Coordination• Industry Groups

Common Lean Processes and Tools• Market Surveys• Environmental Assessment Tool• Re-qualification• DMS

Support Concept• Contract Model• Useful Life Strategy• Open Systems

0

10

20

30

40

1980 1990 2000 2010

Piece parts -mil-spec % of

total

Equipment -military % oftotal avionics

Source: AvionicsMagazine, 01/01

Source:TACTech,’95

Per cent

Accelerating Change

Functional

Densit

y

Power per Function

Thermal Density

Allowable Component Temperature

Functional

Densit

y

Power per Function

Thermal Density


Functional

Densit

y

Power per Function

Functional

Densit

y

Power per Function

Thermal Density


Thermal Density


• COTS assembly integration to increase systems’ performance and affordability

• Increased systems commonality and industry solutions

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What I’ve Done in the Last Few Years

Phantom Works COTS Implementation Guidance & Strategy Development Industry Standards Development Tool Development University Relations

Commercial Aircraft 787 Power Electronics Cooling

Derivative Airplane Programs AWACS – Program Specific COTS Implementation Plan B-1B – Program Upgrade Strategy BMC2A & MMA – COTS Implementation Guidance C-32 & C-40 – COTS and the customer

Ground Based Missile Defense Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle Engineering Review Board


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What I’ve Done in the Last Few Years

Fighters and Bombers

B-1B COTS Implementation

F/A-18 & F/A-22 – Liquid Flow Through Cooling

Helicopters

RAH-66 – M/E Trade Studies Support

V-22 – Accelerated Improvement Program

Network Centric Programs

Future Combat Systems – M/E Trade Studies Support

Future Combat Systems – New Packaging Architecture Implementation

Technical Fellowship

Technology Interest Group (Community of Practice) Utilization

Selection Process

Outreach


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What I’ve Learned – Scientia est Potentia

Emphasize knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering; we’ll teach you the application specifics

Understand the “social” contract at work - Boeing example Understand the “social” contract away from work Read and develop in all three dimensions Develop your oral and written communication skills Never compromise on integrity issues

Work on what you believe in Work on what you find interesting Think about which career path you are interested in

Operate to a plan The underlying assumptions and the plan will change

Run to the fire When something goes wrong, blame yourself


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Why its rewarding to me

Continuing opportunity to learn and expand skill set

Work on what is interesting

Enormous satisfaction in seeing product/system developed and fielded.


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Filename.ppt | 31BOE 121003-491

Process Check – Boeing List of “Desired Attributes of an Engineer” A good understanding of engineering

science fundamentals

Mathematics (including statistics)

Physical and life sciences

Information technology (far more than “computer literacy”)

A good understanding of design and manufacturing processes (i.e. understands engineering)

A multi-disciplinary, systems perspective

A basic understanding of the context in which engineering is practiced

Economics (including business practice)

History

The environment

Customer and societal needs

Good communication skills

Written

Oral

Graphic

Listening

High ethical standards

An ability to think both critically and creatively - independently and cooperatively

Flexibility. The ability and self-confidence to adapt to rapid or major change

Curiosity and a desire to learn for life

A profound understanding of the importance of teamwork.


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