LeanSE

Systems Engineering

Systems Engineering (SE) is the backbone of complex vehicle development, ensuring that all components and systems work together harmoniously. In the automotive industry, SE enables the management of complexity across multiple domains and ensures that vehicles meet safety, functional, and performance requirements.

Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is a modern approach to Systems Engineering that replaces traditional document-driven processes with digital models to design, analyze, and validate complex systems. By using tools like SysML and other modeling frameworks, MBSE enables the creation of a unified, visual representation of system architectures, requirements, behaviors, and interactions across domains.

While MBSE (Model-Based Systems Engineering) and SE (Systems Engineering) are closely related, they should not be used interchangeably, even if no OEM is relying on paper-based SE anymore. The distinction lies in scope, methodology, and tools. Systems Engineering is the broader discipline that defines the principles, processes, and methodologies for developing complex systems.

MBSE is a specific approach within SE that replaces traditional document-based processes with model-driven practices. SE includes activities that may not always involve models, such as stakeholder communication, conceptual design, and high-level trade-off analyses. MBSE, by contrast, focuses on creating and leveraging digital models to support these activities.

Functions of Systems Engineering in Automotive

The core functions of SE are critical to managing complexity and ensuring system-level integration:

• Requirements Management: Defines, tracks, and verifies requirements across mechanical, electrical, and software domains, ensuring compliance with regulations.

• System Architecture Definition: Establishes a blueprint for how various subsystems interact, balancing performance, safety, and scalability.

• Integration Planning: Ensures smooth assembly and interoperability of components from Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers.

• Validation and Verification: Ensures systems meet defined requirements through simulation, testing, and compliance checks.

• Risk Analysis and Mitigation: Identifies potential system failures, enabling proactive measures to ensure safety and reliability.

Domains Covered by Systems Engineering

SE spans across critical automotive domains, ensuring holistic development:

• Mechanical: Chassis, body design, and structural safety.

• Electrical/Electronic (E/E): Wiring harnesses, sensors, and ECUs.

• Software: Functional safety, over-the-air updates, and user interfaces.

• Cross-Domain Systems: Integration of ADAS, powertrain, and infotainment into unified vehicle systems.

Roles in Systems Engineering

Systems Engineering requires a multidisciplinary team:

• System Architects: Design high-level system structures and interactions.

• Safety Engineers: Ensure compliance with ISO 26262 and other safety standards.

• Integration Specialists: Bridge gaps between hardware, software, and supplier components.

• Validation Teams: Conduct end-to-end testing and homologation.

Challenges in Adopting Systems Engineering

Despite its importance, SE adoption faces significant barriers in the rapidly evolving automotive landscape.

Managing Complexity

Modern vehicles are more complex than ever, with over a million requirements, thousands of components, and increasingly software-centric architectures. Traditional SE practices struggle to keep pace with the explosion of data and dependencies.

Balancing Rigidity and Agility

Traditional SE methodologies are inherently rigid, relying on extensive upfront planning. This clashes with agile practices that dominate software development, creating friction between iterative workflows and system-level predictability.

Heterogeneous Tool Landscapes

OEMs often rely on fragmented tools for requirements management (e.g., DOORS), architecture design (e.g., SysML), and testing. These siloed systems make collaboration and traceability challenging, leading to inefficiencies and data inconsistencies.

Maturity Levels of OEMs

Most incumbent OEMs struggle with adapting SE to support agile software development, while BEV start-ups like Tesla and Rivian bypass traditional practices in favor of leaner, software-first approaches that inherently embed systems thinking into their workflows.

Introducing Lean Systems Engineering (LeanSE)

To address these challenges, LeanSE applies Lean principles to Systems Engineering, focusing on efficiency, value delivery, and adaptability.

What is LeanSE?

LeanSE redefines Systems Engineering by prioritizing simplicity, waste reduction, and iterative improvement. It integrates well with agile frameworks, making it ideal for modern software-defined vehicles.

Benefits of LeanSE

LeanSE bridges the gap between traditional SE and agile practices, providing:

• Faster Development Cycles: Aligns SE workflows with iterative software releases.

• Enhanced Collaboration: Encourages cross-functional teamwork through shared models and real-time updates.

• Improved Traceability: Automates traceability and compliance checks, reducing manual effort.

• Scalability: Adapts to the varying complexity of mechanical, E/E, and software systems.

• Cost Efficiency: Reduces waste by focusing only on high-value activities.

Adoption

Adoption of LeanSE is growing, with BEV start-ups like Tesla, NIO, and Rivian leading the charge. These companies leverage LeanSE to integrate systems thinking directly into their software-first development pipelines. Incumbent OEMs, while slower to adapt, are increasingly adopting LeanSE to modernize their workflows and remain competitive.

LeanSE adoption highlights clear differences between traditional OEMs and BEV start-ups.

Incumbent OEMs

• Often rely on rigid, document-heavy SE processes.

• Face challenges integrating SE with agile and software development practices.

• Gradually adopting LeanSE to streamline cross-domain collaboration and improve efficiency.

BEV Start-Ups

• Embrace LeanSE from the outset, with minimal legacy processes or tools.

• Leverage software-first development pipelines to embed SE naturally.

• Use leaner, faster workflows to rapidly iterate on features and systems.

Conclusion

Systems Engineering is essential for managing the complexity of modern vehicles, but traditional approaches face challenges in the software-driven era. LeanSE offers a way forward, enabling OEMs to streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and adapt to the demands of agile development. By adopting LeanSE, automotive companies can remain competitive and deliver innovative, safe, and compliant vehicles at the speed of modern development.