Why Use Systems Engineering?
Although ITS projects come in many shapes and sizes, they all use technology (computers, communications, sensors, etc.) and frequently include the exchange of information, either within a system or between systems. The technology and integration that sets ITS projects apart also creates challenges for the ITS project manager. What every ITS project manager wants is a successful result at the end of the project, with “success” measured by: • how well the implementation satisfies the needs of the people who use it, and • how closely the project stayed within the budgeted cost and schedule. Systems engineering reduces the risk of schedule and cost overruns and increases the likelihood that the implementation will meet the user’s needs. Other benefits include: • improved stakeholder participation • more adaptable, resilient systems • verified functionality and fewer defects • higher level of reuse from one project to the next, and • better documentation. These assertions have been supporte
