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The Seven Samurai of

Systems Engineering

Dealing with the Complexity

of 7 Interrelated Systems

James N Martin Systems Engineering Conference

SEDC 2012 at GMU

Washington, DC

15 May 2012

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A Film by Kurosawa (1954)

• Tale of heroism and sacrifice

– Samurai warriors hired by a

Japanese village to protect against

a band of marauding thieves

• Some say…

– “one of the greatest masterpieces

in the history of the motion

picture”

– “what cinema is meant to be”

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The American Wild West Version (1960)

• Starring

– Yul Brynner (leader of the 7)

– Steve McQueen

– James Coburn

– Charles Bronson

• Some call it…

– “the best Western ever made”

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Context

System

(S1)

Problem (P1)

• First, there is a Problem to be solved

• The Problem is part of the Context System

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Context

System

(S1)

Problem (P1) Context System Elements

Pre-Existing “Solutions”

Physical Environment (air, land, sea)

Regulatory Environment (laws,

regulations, customs, ethics, stigmas)

Information (data, signals, noise)

Knowledge (information, knowledge,

wisdom, “best” practices)

Anti-Knowledge (misinformation, lies, stupidity)

Emotions (love, hate, delight, disappointment)

Aesthetics (elegance, beauty, cultural expectations)

But More Elements . . .

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Context

System

(S1)

Problem (P1)

Intervention

System (S2)

intended to address

Systems Engineers try to

conceive of a way to

“suppress” the Problem

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Context

System

(S1)

Problem (P1)

Intervention

System (S2)

intended to address

Transport people quickly

over long distances.

Collect images quickly

over entire earth.

Problems System Solutions

Passenger Jet

Imagery Satellite

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Realization

System (S3)

needs to understand

Context

System (S1)

Intervention

System (S2)

Problem (P1)

intended to address

The Intervention System must be:

Designed & Developed

Tested & Qualified

Produced & Deployed

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Realization

System (S3)

needs to understand

Context

System (S1)

Intervention

System (S2)

Problem (P1)

intended to address

Airbus + Air France +

Airplane Standards + etc

Boeing + Suppliers +

US Gov’t + Regulations

+ Imaging Technology +

Physics Knowledge + etc

Realization Systems

Passenger Jet

Imagery Satellite

Intervention Systems

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Context

System (S1)

Realization

System (S3)

Intervention

System (S2)

Problem (P1)

intended to address

needs to understand

Deployed System is

often different from the

“as-designed” system

Deployed

System (S4)

becomes

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Context

System (S1)

Realization

System (S3)

Intervention

System (S2)

Problem (P1)

intended to address

needs to understand

Deployed

System (S4)

becomes

Boeing

747

• 747-100 s/n 345

• 747-200 s/n 678

• 747-419 s/n 321

• …

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Modified Context

System (S1’)

becomes

needs to

understand

Context

System (S1)

Realization

System (S3)

Intervention

System (S2)

Deployed

System (S4)

Problem (P1)

intended to address

becomes

needs to understand

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Context

System (S1)

Realization

System (S3)

Intervention

System (S2)

Modified Context

System (S1’)

Deployed

System (S4)

Problem (P1)

intended to address

becomes

becomes

needs to understand

needs to

understand

Problem (P2)

may

cause

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Context

System (S1)

Realization

System (S3)

Intervention

System (S2)

Modified Context

System (S1’)

Deployed

System (S4)

Problem (P1)

Problem (P2)

may

cause

intended to address

becomes

becomes

needs to understand

needs to

understand

Collaborating

System (S5)

collaborates

with

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Context

System (S1)

Realization

System (S3)

Intervention

System (S2)

Modified Context

System (S1’)

Deployed

System (S4)

Problem (P1)

Problem (P2)

may

cause

Collaborating

System (S5)

collaborates

with

intended to address

becomes

becomes

needs to understand

needs to

understand

Sustainment

System (S6)

sustains

may need

to develop

or modify

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Context

System (S1)

Modified Context

System (S1’)

Deployed

System (S4)

Problem (P1)

becomes

Competing

System (S7)

may address

competes

with

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Context

System (S1)

Realization

System (S3)

Intervention

System (S2)

Competing

System (S7)

Modified Context

System (S1’)

Deployed

System (S4)

Sustainment

System (S6)

Problem (P1)

Problem (P2)

may

cause

Collaborating

System (S5)

collaborates

with

intended to address

becomes

may address

competes

with

becomes

sustains

may need

to develop

or modify

needs to understand

needs to

understand

The 7

Samurai

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Systems engineers focus

too much on one system —

the Intervention System

Should use this as a

framework to encourage

true “systems” thinking

The 7 Samurai frame-

work can lead to more

holistic application of

SE methods and tools