What is Digital Engineering, and how can it be used to enhance Project Management and Systems Engineering?

The South Wales and West of England Regional Network were pleased to have this joint event with IfSE kindly hosted by AtkinsRealis. Presented by Kevan Boll, Chief Systems Engineer at Atkinsrealis, this event focused on Digital Engineering Fundamentals and its role in transforming engineering processes through data-driven, model-based approaches. This event was held on 19 November.

Kevan introduced the agenda for the event, which included an overview of digital engineering, his experiences, and a workshop/break-out session for the participants. Kevan went on to discuss the following:

• Definition of Digital Engineering: Kevan defined digital engineering as the use of digital technologies, data-driven models, and advanced simulations to perform engineering tasks, replacing traditional document-heavy methods with integrated digital environments.
• Historical Milestones in Digital Engineering: the historical milestones in digital engineering, including the Analytical Engine by Charles Babbage and the Electronic Drafting Machine from the 1960s, emphasising the long history of digital engineering.
• Key Concepts in Digital Engineering: such as lifecycle management, AI integration, virtual prototyping, systems integration, and digital twin, among others.
• Digital Thread and Value Chain: Kevan explained the concept of the digital thread and its role in the value chain, from problem definition to executive decision-making, and the integration of tools and data in digital engineering.
• Key Players in Digital Engineering Tools: including Jira, ClickUp, monday.com, SIEMENS, PTC Inc., HEXAGON, and others.
• Industries Adopting Digital Engineering: Kevan discussed the adoption of digital engineering in various industries, including industrial manufacturing, aerospace and defence, and the automotive industry, highlighting their use of digital twins, AI, and simulations. U.S. Navy reported 17% efficiency gains.
• Global Trends in Digital Engineering: market size, adoption rates of digital thread and twin, and the strongest adoption in high-tech, automotive, aerospace, and defence industries.
• Personal Experiences: Kevan shared his experiences with model-based systems engineering (MBSE), data and tool integration, the case for change, and the use of Jira in managing digital engineering projects.

Breakout session: Kevan assigned specific questions to each table for the breakout session, focusing on scoping and controlling projects, quality control and acceptance, using AI and digital aides, and affecting project stakeholders.

• Participants discussed and identified issues, risks, opportunities, mitigations, and benefits related to their assigned questions.
• Each table presented their findings, with discussions on topics such as managing change, configuration control, and the impact of digital engineering on stakeholders.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways: Kevan concluded the session by emphasising that digital engineering is about transformation as much as it is about tools, highlighting the key benefits and future success factors for digital engineering.

Speaker:

Kevan Boll, Chief Systems Engineer, AtkinsRealis

Kevan’s 23-year career as a systems engineer has involved complex projects ranging from cruise missile programmes, the future aircraft carrier to writing MOD policy and guidance on systems engineering systems of systems programmes, organisational change and more. closely working with project and programme professionals. Common to most enterprise’s, many of Kevan’s current projects involve ‘transitioning’ to digital ways of working.

Kevan has very kindly allowed their presented material to be made available for viewing.
The slides on Slideshare are now available in our APM resources area and also embedded below for reference.