Designing Systems for an Uncertain Future

Our research focuses on how complex systems and products evolve over time. In system design, specifically, we are interested in how future uncertainty and reuse affect large scale projects. Currently, many systems in the aerospace, automotive and other domains are rigid point designs that cannot easily be changed after their initial deployment.

We develop quantitative and implementable methods and tools that explicitly consider both changeability and commonality over a system’s lifecycle. Specific examples of such methods are Time-Expanded Decision Networks (TDN), the sensitivity-Design Structure Matrix (sDSM) and the Technology Infusion Analysis (TIA) process. These methods have been implemented in a variety of software tools and have been demonstrated on systems and products of real-world complexity. We emphasize successful adoption  in a variety of organizations to solve problems in space exploration, oil and gas exploration and production, as well as the development of complex electro-mechanical products, among others.

Ultimately, we believe that explicitely designing systems for uncertain future conditions and requirements will change the mindset and practice of engineering as we know it today. We call this approach Strategic Engineering.

Strategic Engineering is the process of architecting and designing complex systems and products in a way that deliberately accounts for future uncertainty and context in order to minimize the effects of lock-in while maximizing lifecycle value.

This website contains a summary of our research and educational program as well as links to publications and downloadable models and case studies.