Move By the Left Flank

Move By The Left Flank is intended for use as a supplementary textbook in a course on advanced systems engineering. The book covers concepts of Technical Leadership, System Complexity, Systems-of-systems, and the impact on traditional system engineering from distributed, digitally rich, complex systems. A new approach to technical leadership suitable for these Information Revolution systems is proposed, one that involves the use of vision as a guide to technical leadership. Suitably adjusted approaches are offered for technical planning, product transition, verification and validation, project organization, and requirements development. The text is supplemented with twelve case studies covering complex system design, development, test and operation, largely drawn from the author's 40 years of high level system engineering experience.

Move By The Left Flank is intended for use as a supplementary textbook in a course on advanced systems engineering. The book covers concepts of Technical Leadership, System Complexity, Systems-of-systems, and the impact on traditional system engineering from distributed, digitally rich, complex systems. A new approach to technical leadership suitable for these Information Revolution systems is proposed, one that involves the use of vision as a guide to technical leadership. Suitably adjusted approaches are offered for technical planning, product transition, verification and validation, project organization, and requirements development. The text is supplemented with twelve case studies covering complex system design, development, test and operation, largely drawn from the author's 40 years of high level system engineering experience.

Dr. Wilson N. Felder is an Industry Professor, and Director of the Systems Engineering Research Center’s Doctoral Fellows Program at Stevens Institute of Technology. From 2006 to 2012 he served as the Director of the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center, in Atlantic City, NJ, the Nation’s principal Federal Laboratory for engineering, research, development, test, and evaluation of air transportation systems. As the FAA’s Director of Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, he co-chaired the Aeronautics subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council. He is also a retired U.S. Navy Commander and a former TRW Inc executive. An instrument rated private pilot, Dr. Felder is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and served on the board of AIAA for ten years, first as Director of the Aircraft Group, and later as Vice President, Standards. He is currently the Secretary of the Board of the International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA). He holds Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD degrees from the University of Virginia. His research interests include the theory of complex systems; heuristics for the design, development, and operation of complex systems; and strategies for complex system test and evaluation.