Systems Engineering Fast-Track (online)

Overview

This 4-day course not only provides insights to the overall systems-engineering process, but details methods and tools that support that process. The methods and tools presented are pragmatic and practical and have been used on real programmes and bids in the range of £10M to £2Bn.

"In a period when platforms are likely to remain in service for many years, unless systems engineering capability and vital long-term knowledge is maintained, it is little use investing in cutting-edge science. New technologies will have less benefit without knowledge of how they might be exploited and inserted into existing equipment."
UK Defence Industrial Strategy Defence White Paper

This course is taught by the well-known systems-engineering practitioner Dr Rob Collins, who has worked for many years 'at the coal-face' improving processes, introducing tools and methods and providing staff training. This course is based on 20 years experience in systems engineering and draws in current state-of-the-art knowledge in the field.

People who attend this course are normally from other disciplines (electronics, communications, software engineering, logistics, safety, training etc.) who are newly moving into systems engineering, or want a re-fresher course on newer techniques (such as the use of SysML and MODAF).

It is ideal for team leaders who are seeking to improve their team’s performance in an efficient manner; those who are new to large-scale systems development or want to refresh existing knowledge and skills; organizations that are looking to improve in areas such as requirements management, system modelling and the systems-engineering process, or those aiming to reach higher CMMI® levels.

Programme details

The Systems Engineering Process

  • Improving your own Systems Engineering process
  • Elements of a high-quality Systems Engineering process
  • Moving your process to where it needs to be
  • Decision analysis and Trade-studies

A Systems Engineering Database

  • Requirements management: methods, structures and traceability
  • Writing Excellent Requirements
  • Configuration management
  • Metrics for process and product

Systems Modelling

  • SysML and UML for Systems Engineering
  • Architectural frameworks – MODAF, NAF and DoDAF
  • Architectural design and interface control

Systems Integrity

  • Rigorous inspections and Gateway Reviews
  • Threads analysis
  • Failure-domain analysis - FMECA, HAZOP and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
  • Capturing rationale

Verification

  • Verification planning
  • Verification management
  • Working successfully with customers and suppliers
  • Metrics and reporting
  • Hints, tips and traps

The Human Face of Systems Engineering

Integrating with other key disciplines

Dates, Times and Delivery

The Systems Engineering Fast-Track (online) course will run over a series of 90-minute sessions, from 09:00 and run until around 17:00.

All times listed are UK times. A world clock, and time zone converter can be found here: https://bit.ly/3bSPu6D

This is a ‘virtual classroom’ course.

To replicate the experience of a classroom, the sessions are ‘live’ and are not recorded.

Accessing Your Online Course 

Details about accessing the private MS Teams course site will be emailed to you during the week prior to the course commencing.  

Please get in touch if you have not received this information within three working days of the course start date.

Digital Certification

To complete the course, you will be required to attend and participate in all of the live sessions on the course in order to be considered for a certificate. Participants who complete the course will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course.

The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will also be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Standard course fee £1575.00

Payment

All courses are VAT exempt.

Fees include electronic copies of course materials.

Register immediately online 

Click the “book now” button on this webpage. Payment by credit or debit card is required.

Tutor

Dr Rob Collins

Speaker

Dr Rob Collins

Visiting Fellow

Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford

Dr Rob Collins is a visiting fellow of Kellogg College Oxford and regularly teaches courses at the University – both through Continuing Professional Development and through the Computing Laboratory.

As well as his academic teaching work Dr Collins regularly provides consultancy to industry in the area of Business Process Excellence and Systems Engineering.  He gained his Black Belt Certification in Lean Six Sigma from Lockheed Martin – the world's largest Systems Engineering company and a world-leader in advanced technology.

As well as his undergraduate degree in Physics and Computing, Dr Collins holds a PhD completed within a Psychology Department. Dr Collins’ PhD focussed on training, psychology and processes for introducing complex technology into learning environments. Dr Collins’ completed an MBA in 2012 at Henley Business School. He thus has a strategic business view as well as deep understanding and practical experience of hands-on process improvement in technology and service.

Application

If you would like to discuss your application or any part of the application process before applying, please click Contact Us at the top of this page.

Level and demands

Graduate-level engineers from companies that develop, or are part of a team that develops complex systems, which have one or more of the following characteristics:

  • Have around 500 to 2000 individually identified requirements
  • Range in value from £10M to £2.5Bn
  • Have safety or security critical elements
  • Incorporate or interface with significant levels of legacy technology
  • Involve teams of companies
  • Involve more than one technology area, for example: software, electronics, electro-mechanics, hydraulics and human systems elements

Perhaps you would like to update your skills in systems engineering for one or more of the following reasons:

  • You have recognised that your organisation needs to improve in areas including: requirements management, system modelling and the systems-engineering process
  • Your organisation has a target to reach higher CMMI® levels
  • You are new to large-scale systems development or you want to refresh your existing knowledge and skills
  • You are a team leader and want information that you can use to improve the performance of your team in an efficient manner

IT requirements

This course is delivered online using Microsoft Teams. You will be required to follow and implement the instructions we send you to fully access Microsoft Teams on the University of Oxford's secure IT network.

To participate you must be familiar with using a computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification.

It is advised to use headphones with working speakers and microphone.