When headlines talk about putting servers in space, Systems Engineers should hear something else entirely: architecture trade space. This article revisits a timeless INCOSE principle, the disciplined comparison of fundamentally different architectures, using terrestrial and space-based computing as a modern case study.
Readers can also download a free Architecture Alternatives Comparison Worksheet to support early architecture decisions before assumptions harden into designs.
Scott Adams, the creator of the satirical comic strip Dilbert, died on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at the age of 68. Marking the end of a career that left a lasting imprint on how engineers and technologists understand organizational dysfunction. For much of my professional career, Adams occupied a unique and, frankly, useful place in the engineering world. Through Dilbert, he became a satirist of corporate dysfunction, an informal organizational theorist, and a cultural translator between engineers and executives. His work gave voice to frustrations that many technical professionals experienced daily but struggled to articulate within hierarchical organizations
Boeing’s recent safety issues highlight how small, accepted risks can accumulate into enterprise-level failure. This article explores what Boeing’s experience teaches systems engineers about risk aggregation, tolerance, culture, and governance—and why disciplined, integrated risk management is essential in complex systems.
The other day I was able to go to a lecture by Dan Roam, the author of the wildly popular book, "The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures." His topic was, "What to do when words don't work" and his seemingly outrageous claim the, "You can solve any problem with pictures."
