Necessary elements in the use of comprehensive design methods and tools in the accomplishment of industrial projects

Engineers today, just like those many decades ago prior to the age of modern technology, need a well-stocked toolbox in order to successfully accomplish the design, implementation, and control of real industrially based projects. There is a need for what must be considered as an elegant design that not only contains requirements analyses but also a detailed plan indicating how it is to be brought about within budget and time while using only available resources. To achieve this, the paper describes how the need for improved modeling methods and practices becomes apparent, and how in the final analysis the outcome is largely dependent on the skills of human user. The goals of this paper are: to increase the reader´s awareness of the intricate complexity that exists in the design and production of real systems; the necessity for dynamic methods and modeling tools to manage the systems engineering process; and the relationship between the user´s cognitive abilities for systems thinking and the critical aspects of comprehensive modeling that are necessary for system success. The paper concludes with a SysML illustration showing the value of a current modeling method and the importance of a comprehensive modeling tool.