syseng.net

About syseng.net

Comparison of SPEM Handbook with other 'books'

syseng.net is looking to become the most important and useful web site for anyone involved in systems projects of almost any kind. The site contains:

A huge amount of guidance information about all aspects of systems engineering, specialist engineering, project engineering, and management in general, and includes subjects such as self management and thinking/problem-solving skills. This information is accessed through the System/Project Engineering/Management (SPEM) Handbook.
Case studies and Lessons Learnt
Links to a vast amount of other information, and key sites for those interested in systems engineering, project engineering, and system projects of almost any kind.

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To gain full access to the SPEM handbook and the other information referred to above all you need to do is register (registration is free). [Press Here to Register]

The mission behind syseng.net is to help make project in general, and systems projects in particular, a success, and get away from project's continually making the same mistakes.

In order to achieve this mission, syseng.net focuses upon providing practical, easy to understand and use guidance. Much of systems engineering, project engineering, and the principles of management, is common sense, and syseng.net states this common sense in a clear useable fashion.

syseng.net is set up in a manner that actively encourages contributions from others. In addition to the satisfaction of contributing to the world's better use of scarce resources, contributors also get more immediate benefits and advantages. The primary advantage at this time is the publishing on the site of your name (or an alias if you prefer) as a contributor (and thus the right to use this when applying for work). However we are actively looking to extend our range of services and shall be looking to give additional benefits to contributors. Further details of existing and potential future benefits are given on the site itself.

What makes the SPEM Handbook different?

The key service currently provided by syseng.net is access to the SPEM Handbook. (SPEM: System/Project Engineering/Management)

What makes the SPEM handbook different from other books or information on related topics is its scope, its focus on practical common sense knowledge and guidance, and its use of the internet to enable a network of contributors to ensure the handbook is continually being improved.

In terms of its scope, the SPEM Handbook is concerned with every aspect of a system project. It is concerned with:

Systems Engineering, and thus an understanding of the engineering issues associated with deriving and maintaining a system design. This includes introducing in some detail the many areas of specialisation that are potentially involved in a system project.

Project Engineering, and thus all the issues associated with running a project. Note that this book has used the term Project Engineering both to complement the term Systems Engineering, and to differentiate from Management.

Management, concerned with the management of the project.

The integration of Systems Engineering, Project Engineering, and Management, to give rise to System/Project Engineering/Management which is responsible for all aspects of effectively undertaking a system design project.

The full life-cycle of system projects, from conception through to disposal. There are two aspects to this: firstly that the design should take account of the full life-cycle, and secondly that the design needs to be maintained during the later phases of the life-cycle.

Organisational issues, including the fact that many different organisations will almost certainly be involved through a complex network of sub-contractors.

The phasing of design activities, with the potential for significant periods of low activity whilst 'approval' is sought for the next phase.

Project context issues, including the different 'environments' within which projects take place: eg. technological environment, industrial infrastructure environment, and the general fact that, whilst systems projects can be many years or even decades, the environment is continually changing.

People issues, such as leadership, teamworking, etc.

Personal skill and self development issues. This includes general thinking skills, problems solving and analysis, self management, negotiating, and interpersonal communication skills.

This handbook also focuses very much on providing common sense, easy to understand, practical, guidance and advice. It is not simply about an 'idealised' approach which is unachievable in practice, but addresses the issues and constraints engineers and managers find themselves faced with, including legacy situations which can not simply be swept aside, project 'politics' and the fact that people/organisations act in their own interests to a greater or lesser extent, and the difficulties in getting projects started.

All of the above are important if a full understanding of complex system projects is to be gained. And part of the reason that complex projects are rarely the success they ought to be is the lack of full appreciation of this full scope.

A comparison of this book with other types of books that in principle cover some of the same ground is given in Fig About.1.

The other fundamental difference between this handbook and other 'books' is of course the very means being used to maintain it and make it available to the reader. The use of the internet in this way means the handbook will continue to grow, continue to get better, continue to provide more case studies and guidance, continue to look to provide guidance and advice in an ever more easily assimilated and useful manner.

Fig About.1

Comparison of SPEM Handbook with scope of other books

This HandBook	Relative to Other Books
Systems Engineering	Some of the core concepts of Systems Engineering appear in other books. However: they do not also address the other types of issues addressed in this book, and thus the systems engineering is not seen in its full context; and this book adopts an approach which reflects a middle out design which is a more practical approach than the approach of 'top-down' which often forms the basis of other books.
Project Engineering	There are many books on Project Management, and these books mostly cover what is here termed project engineering. However within a systems project environment project engineering and management are not synonymous and there will be many project engineers who are not managers. This book draws a clearer distinction, and thus allows a clear understanding of the relationships between project engineering systems engineering and management.
Management	See above. This book also addresses more comprehensively than most other books the fact that managers on systems projects are managing highly educated professional engineers, and this is very different to managing persons working on a shop floor.
Integration of Systems Engineering, Project Engineering, and Management.	As stated above, other books do not address the full complexities of the integration of Systems Engineering, Project Engineering, and Management. And it is only through appropriate integration of these areas that system projects will succeed. Good Systems Engineering, good Project Engineering, and good Management are not enough if they do not complement each other (though of course good Management would ensure this was the case).
The full life-cycle	Other books typically only address the design phase of a system project. Whilst this book is about designing systems it makes full cognisance of the full life-cycle both because the design itself should take full cognisance of it, and because the design will need to be maintained through the full life-cycle.
Sub-contracting issues	In practice large systems projects are not simply carried out within a single large organisation, as would seem to be suggested by other books. In practice there are a number of different organisations involved who interact primarily through sub-contracting arrangements. This issue is addressed within this book.
Project phases	Closely related to the sub-contracting realities of large system projects is the fact that the projects often have phases, or what is of more concern, gaps between phases. During these gaps a system customer might be looking for approval to continue the project, or might be negotiating with potential sub-contractors. This is rarely recognised in other books, but is addressed here.
Project environment	The environment within which a project operates is rarely static. This again is something only mentioned in passing in other books, but its importance is recognised here.
People issues	A project will only succeed if it has the right people appropriately motivated. This is a topic sometimes partially addressed under project management, and is also often a topic in itself, with for example books on Teamworking. This book covers, at a high level, much the same ground as these other books, but does so in a way that makes it relevant to the types of people that will typically be working on a systems project.
Personal skills	There are many books which address particular types of personal skills. This book discusses those of relevant to those working on a systems project. Some of the areas covered are covered in more detail in other books.
Practical Issues	Many books merely present for example a large number of topics that might be addressed in a perfect world without giving any guidance about what to do in the real world of constraints which presents everything being done. This book is firmly focused on presenting the topics covered in a way that they can be practically applied.