Assessing the Relevance of Systems Engineering to Project Cases

This week's topic focuses on the relevance of systems engineering to project management and the BP catastrophes. SEBoK claims that system engineering could have prevented the catastrophes at BP. System thinking and system engineering can be used to solve any number of problems ranging from management issues to resource allocation issues. Project, program, and portfolio management require the use of system engineering as they need to perform various informed decision making. However, system engineering needs time and a huge amount of investment to function properly. Communication is necessary for making decisions. In the case of BP, there was a lack of communication between the management and the operations department and therefore even if system engineering was employed, they would have to improve their internal communication in order to properly utilize system engineering.

(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio for Week 3
Week 3: Assess the Relevance of Systems Engineering to Project Cases.
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
Mandatory Readings
 SEBoK Part 2:
Foundations of
Systems
Engineering –
 'Knowledge
Area: Systems
Fundamentals';
 'Knowledge
Area: Systems
Science';
 'Knowledge
Area: Systems
Thinking';
 'Knowledge
Area:
Representing
Systems with
Models';
 Part 6: Related
Disciplines –
 'Knowledge
Area: Systems
Engineering
and Industrial
Engineering';
 'Knowledge
Area: Systems
Engineering
1. Explain the
relevance of
systems thinking to
the project,
program and
portfolio manager.
The objective of this week’s topic is to ask questions about how valuable is
Systems Engineering to Project Management and the project cases we are
considering. The big case we have been looking at has been BP and Texas City
then Deepwater Horizon. We now have a basic understanding of Systems
Engineering, Project, Program, and Portfolio Management, so we can ask
ourselves:
 Does Systems Engineering have any relevance to the two BP catastrophes?
System Engineering is the systematic and methodological approach to
problem solving. The BP catastrophes have happened as they have not
employed any form of system engineering. The catastrophes may have
been avoided if systems engineering was employed along with the
necessary tools.
 Are there any sources that might claim there is relevance, for example
SEBoK?
Yes, SEBoK claims that system engineering could have prevented the
catastrophes at BP. These sources claim that a methodological approach to
project management can be used to manage any risk and develop the most
satisfying result for any situation.
 How with systems thinking and systems engineering project managers
might solve problems?
The project managers can use system thinking and system engineering to
solve any number of problems ranging from management issues to resource
allocation issues.
 Does Project, Program and Portfolio management provide any relevance?
Either in conjunction or not with Systems Engineering?
Yes, the above forms of management require the use of system engineering
as they need to perform various informed decision making. Decision making
is necessary for project, program as well as portfolio management and
Lock, D. (2017). Project
management. Routledge
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H.
R. (2017). Project
management: a systems
approach to planning,
scheduling, and
controlling. John Wiley &
Sons.
.
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio for Week 3
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
and Specialty
Engineering';
 Part 7: Systems
Engineering
Implementation
Examples:
 How Lack of
Information
Sharing
Jeopardized the
NASA/ESA
Cassini/Huygen
s Mission to
Saturn;
 Project
Management
Case Study;
 Kerzner (2013)
Chapters 17.12-
17.17;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Chapter 5;
Optional Readings
 AS ISO
21504:2016
Project,
programme and
portfolio
management—
Guidance on
portfolio
therefore system engineering can be applied to them.
 How do we know these things? What proof do we have? How strong is it?
Would the strength of the proof encourage the board of BP to invest in
these solutions?
Different authors have elaborated on the utilization of System Engineering
in various management decisions and their effect on the outcome of the
projects. Therefore, to maintain a healthy approach to decision-making
skills, system engineering can be utilized.
 Think of the problems that BP have faced with The Deepwater Horizon and
Texas City disasters. Did Project, Program and Portfolio Management as
well as systems engineering help them? If not then why not? After all BP
has more money than we can imagine and surely they did not allow these
catastrophes to occur out of ignorance and because they wanted to pay
billions in compensation, as well as kill people and ruin the environment?
System engineering needs tome and a huge amount of investment to
function properly. While these two are the major requirements, there is
another requirement that must be fulfilled and that is smooth
communication must be ensured. Communication is necessary for making
decisions. However, in the case of BP, there was a lack of communication
between the management and the operations department and therefore
even if system engineering was employed, they would have to improve
their internal communication in order to properly utilize system
engineering.
 How about the Chief Counsel’s Report? Does it show that BP had a good
idea about Project, Program and Portfolio Management as well as systems
engineering?
BP had partial idea about project, program and portfolio management. They
did not use system engineering. This resulted in lack of methodological
approach to different problems. Therefore, they should have concentrated
on the various risks involved in the process instead of only on the external
appearances that governed the project.
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio for Week 3
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
management;
Movies and Web sites
 YouTube:
 "Systems
Engineering"
(by
ThinkTVPBS)
 Modeling the
Management of
Systems
Engineering
Projects (by
VitechCorp)
 Web Sites:
 International
Council on
Systems
Engineering
(INCOSE)
 Systems
Engineering
Society of
Australia
 The Guide to
Lean Enablers
for Managing
Engineering
Programs - MIT
In this portfolio please reflect on the readings (1st column) and the learning
outcome (2nd column). Ask yourself in what way does the readings provide
insights into the learning outcome? Maybe they don’t! What are your
thoughts?
Are there other insights that you can make from other units that you have
studied? Or your work and life experience?
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio for Week 3
References
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Lock, D. (2017). Project management. Routledge
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