Systems Engineering in Technology Development

Technology development is the crucial first step in designing new products and systems. It is a unique phase of product development in that it incorporates both scientific exploration and reduction to an engineered result. Too often, systems thinking and systems engineering principles aren't applied at this stage, leading to technologies that solve the wrong problems, inability to progress to higher maturity levels, and unworkable implementation architectures. In practice, this means higher development costs, extended timelines, and failed technology development projects. This article presents a framework for and provides guidance on systems engineering activities that add value and improve outcomes if applied during early stages of product development.