Challenges for Systems Architects:
Technical and Otherwise
Mark W. Maier, Ph.D.
Distinguished Engineer
The Aerospace Corporation
703-324-8879
[email protected]
THE AEROSPACE
C O R P O R AT I O N
Electronics and Sensors Division
Page 1 7/28/2017
A Brief Introduction

Engineering background
» Caltech, B.S.
» Ph.D. EE from USC (Radar and Communications)


Co-author, with Eb Rechtin, of “The Art of Systems
Architecting”
I don’t really care about complex system science
» I do care about things that effect the difficulties, methods, and processes by
which we successfully (or unsuccessfully) build systems

I do a mixture teaching and practice
» In teaching, my students are also my clients, so I have to “Eat my own dog
food”
» Meaning, if I can’t figure out how to use it I’m not inclined to care about
» I still might, but it has to fight for a place with the rest of my pleasure
reading and studying
THE AEROSPACE
C O R P O R AT I O N
Electronics and Sensors Division
Page 2 7/28/2017
Simple
Sponsors
Complex
One, w/ $
Several, w/ $
One, w/o $
Many, w/o $
Same as sponsors
Aligned with sponsor
Distinct from
sponsor
Unknown
Technology
Low
Medium
High
Super-high
Feasibility
Easy
Control
Centralized
Users
Situation-Objectives
Quality
Tame
Barely
No
Distributed
Discoverable
Measurable
Virtual
Ill-structured
Semi-measurable
Wicked
One-shot and
unstable
Program Scope
<$ 1 Million
$10’s of Millions
Organizational
Maturity
High
Inside low, outside high
Discrete product
Product + Delivery
Enterprise
Products or Productline + Delivery
Enterprise
Assemblage of
products and
enterprises
Stable
User Adaptive
Competitor Adaptive
Full Scope
Adaptation
Technical Scope
Operational
Adaptation
THE AEROSPACE
C O R P O R AT I O N
$100’s of Millions
>$ 1 billion
First of kind
Electronics and Sensors Division
Page 3 7/28/2017
Simple
Sponsors
Complex
One, w/ $
Several, w/ $
One, w/o $
Many, w/o $
Same as sponsors
Aligned with sponsor
Distinct from
sponsor
Unknown
Technology
Low
Medium
High
Super-high
Feasibility
Easy
Control
Centralized
Users
Situation-Objectives
Quality
Tame
Barely
No
Distributed
Discoverable
Measurable
Virtual
Ill-structured
Semi-measurable
Wicked
One-shot and
unstable
Program Scope
<$ 1 Million
$10’s of Millions
Organizational
Maturity
High
Inside low, outside high
Discrete product
Product + Delivery
Enterprise
Products or Productline + Delivery
Enterprise
Assemblage of
products and
enterprises
Stable
User Adaptive
Competitor Adaptive
Full Scope
Adaptation
Technical Scope
Operational
Adaptation
THE AEROSPACE
C O R P O R AT I O N
$100’s of Millions
>$ 1 billion
First of kind
Electronics and Sensors Division
Page 4 7/28/2017
Simple
Sponsors
Complex
One, w/ $
Several, w/ $
One, w/o $
Many, w/o $
Same as sponsors
Aligned with sponsor
Distinct from
sponsor
Unknown
Technology
Low
Medium
High
Super-high
Feasibility
Easy
Control
Centralized
Users
Situation-Objectives
Quality
Tame
Barely
No
Distributed
Discoverable
Measurable
Virtual
Ill-structured
Semi-measurable
Wicked
One-shot and
unstable
Program Scope
<$ 1 Million
$10’s of Millions
Organizational
Maturity
High
Inside low, outside high
Discrete product
Product + Delivery
Enterprise
Products or Productline + Delivery
Enterprise
Assemblage of
products and
enterprises
Stable
User Adaptive
Competitor Adaptive
Full Scope
Adaptation
Technical Scope
Operational
Adaptation
THE AEROSPACE
C O R P O R AT I O N
$100’s of Millions
>$ 1 billion
First of kind
Electronics and Sensors Division
Page 5 7/28/2017

What is the profile of what you do?
THE AEROSPACE
C O R P O R AT I O N
Electronics and Sensors Division
Page 6 7/28/2017