Systems engineering-harnessing technology for profit

The massive changes occurring in the market place require businesses of all sizes to take long term views about their plans and strategies. These changes are political, customer driven and technological. Product life-cycles are reducing whilst development lead times are increasing. To obtain reduced costs, companies are investing in new methods and procedures such as MRP, JIT, etc., and in new techniques using computer-based tools such as CAD, robotics and programmable controllers. The efficient integration and implementation of these systems requires changes in company culture and involves increasing demands on management and engineering skills. An approach to implementing technological change in manufacturing industry, now receiving increasing attention in the UK, is called `systems engineering´. This paper considers a few basic systems concepts applied to a business implementing technology change