On the Pursuit of Enterprise Systems Engineering Ideas

Many organizations are considering the differences, if any, between “complex” or “enterprise” systems engineering (ESE) and “traditional” systems engineering (TSE). As ESE ideas are being pursued more vigorously within a systems engineering organization, it is important to harmonize the collective understanding of individual members as to the relative meanings of these and other terms. This paper provides the results of two simple surveys recently conducted within MITRE to sample staff opinions on 1) the relationship between TSE and ESE; and 2) one important ESE idea of focusing more on enterprise-scale opportunities as opposed to system-scale risks. This work was motivated as part of an attempt to measure the flow and acceptance of relatively new ideas within such an organization.