Technical Advances
Growth of automation
One of the radical changes that occurred in different areas of human activity is the growth of automation which influenced the employment and level of qualification and training. The growth of automation brought radical changes in such areas as transportation, manufacturing, entertainment, and distribution and sales. For instance, transportation depended mainly on maintenance of the transportation means and the ability of the crew to react adequately to certain problems; airplane safety benefited from the introduction of automated systems. At the same time, manufacturing became less difficult with the growth of automation though more sufficient training was required for people who worked with machines (Kossiakoff & Sweet, 2003, p. 8). The distribution and sales could be performed with the help of automated programs that we’re operating to ensure that a sufficient amount of products would be delivered to different sale points. As for entertainment, it also benefited the growth of automation because different manipulations were not required; besides, they reduced risk.
Personal computer
Personal computers were introduced as one of the radical technical advances that changed the operation of a great variety of fields. As such, entertainment, communications, manufacturing, and distribution and sales are the fields in which the changes occurred. For instance, in the field of entertainment, personal computers are used as means for viewing the shows and sharing impressions on those shows and other types of entertaining activities. Communication is performed easier with the help of a personal computer, especially after the introduction of another technical advance such as the internet. Moreover, a personal computer can be considered an advance that changed radically the concept of information and its evaluation. Manufacturing can also be performed more effectively concerning the planning and development stages of the manufacturing process because these stages can be fulfilled with the help of a personal computer and applications installed on it. Distribution and sales can be also considered the fields that benefit from the introduction of a personal computer.
Competition of System Characteristics
Cases
Innovation and risk is the first case when system characteristics compete with one another. For instance, it is important to use an innovative approach but with regard to the possible risk in different stages of its operation. Testing and timing are another pair of characteristics that can be conflicting and even competing. As such, it is necessary to assess the timing of the project contrasted to the necessity of testing its effectiveness. Moreover, each stage of the project operation can be in conflict with the timing of the project because of the insufficient time given to complete the project and the importance of all stages of the project. Assessment of alternatives and reliability is the last pair of characteristics. The significance of assessment of alternative ways of solving the problem is great as well as the expected reliability of the system.
Meaning of the ‘best’ system
The ‘best’ system does not mean the most efficient system ever or something extraordinary and outstanding. The ‘best’, in this respect, means the most appropriate for the plan under consideration. For instance, if some characteristics conflict, it is necessary to introduce the ‘best’/most appropriate system that possesses characteristics that would not compete with one another. In other words, the right system for the right project is the ‘best’ system.
Reference
Kossiakoff, A., & Sweet, W. N. (2003). Systems engineering: Principles and practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-IEEE.