2.4.2 Systems engineering saves the day

This paper is an experience report about how adding a systems engineer to a project helped the team achieve a second-place result in a competition despite overwhelming technical and programmatic obstacles. The setting of the case in this report is Trondheim where the co-author joined a student team that should design and construct a car to compete in the Shell Eco-marathon. The project started August 2010 and ended May 2011, but the systems engineer joined the project late, and started his work in the middle of January 2011. The paper takes the reader on a journey following the steps taken to introduce and apply systems engineering techniques in a project that was time and resource constrained. The paper demonstrates the effectiveness of simple techniques, such as the “Systems Engineering Wall,” to implement systems engineering practices and improve team communications. The conclusion is that the systemic and systematic approaches of systems engineering, in this instance, helped the team achieve a winning result.