By: Jorg Largent

Over one hundred systems engineering professionals, program managers, and engineers participated in the 2009 Miniconference, “Enhancing Systems Engineering: Expanding Our Process to Meet Future Needs.” The Los Angeles Chapter of the International Council on Systems Engineering conducted the mini-conference at Loyola Marymount University on February 7, 2009 — the fourth consecutive such event. Twenty-five systems engineering professionals made twenty-four excellent presentations on a wide variety of topics. The presenters came from space programs, the aerospace industry and academia.

The participants started the day with registration and breakfast, plus the renewal of old acquaintances and ad hoc discussions of systems engineering in the Loyola Marymount University atrium.

The mini-conference itself opened with a keynote address by Dr. Joel C. Sercel of ICS Associates Inc. in the Ahmanson auditorium. Dr. Sercel set the tone for the day with a keynote address entitled, “Applying and Evolving Systems Engineering.” Dr. Sercel’s address touched on many challenges facing the profession, including a comparison of the changes in the time required to develop a new product in the commercial arena versus in the aerospace industry: in the commercial arena is improving in its ability to execute a new program while the aerospace industry is not. Dr. Sercel also proffered some insight into the problem, citing cultural evolution, “should’ing,” confusing correlation with cause, viewing systems engineering as an end (as opposed to a means to an end), failing to understand enablers, and an ethos of sales over execution. Read more to see the conference presentations.