Creating a Win-Win Rotational Program

4/4/2014

Janine BrownSystems Engineer

Produce Knowledgeable Systems Engineers and Aid in Knowledge

Sharing Across a Company

2

Need for Experienced Systems Engineers

• Traditionally, systems engineers were the most experienced engineers at a company

– Extremely knowledgeable– Spent years working their way up– Many don’t have official systems engineering training

• Today’s systems are more complex than in the past and require:– Top technical capabilities– Fast development and production– Low cost

Systems engineers with extensive knowledge are more crucial than everSource: JSF Lightening II Photo Gallery

3

Traditional Education Helps

• Universities are helping with the education of systems engineers– Degrees at the undergraduate, masters, and doctorate levels– Curriculums often include projects to simulate real system challenges– Many professors have worked as systems engineers for large companies and bring

real world experiences to their courses

4

But Nothing Replaces Experience

• The best systems engineers have many years of practice

– They have experienced success – They have experienced failure– They understand that it takes time to learn

No amount of education can teach you everything you need to know for a career in systems engineering

Source: A Case Study and Analysis of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Failure

5

So How Can a Rotational Program Help Fill the Void?

• Expands systems engineering skills through various projects

• Develops the ability to learn and understand new systems quickly

• Intensifies an understanding of different areas of the systems engineering life cycle

• Encourages learning in a variety of domain areas

Rotational programs speed up the SE learning process

6

There’s Another Benefit Aside from Learning

• Many companies have numerous sites located all over the country (and even world)

– Each site usually provides expertise in a different domain area– Sites often manufacture very different products– Each location has their own culture

• A rotating engineer will provide:– Knowledge sharing– Greater network to connect people

Rotational programs increase knowledge sharing across a company

7

Experienced Engineers are Optimal for Rotational Programs

• Benefits:– Working knowledge of the company– Solid technical base and experience to share with others – Known passion for systems engineering

• Challenges– Willingness to get out of their comfort zone– Potentially settled with family

Implementation Challenges

9

Program Logistics

• Outline how the rotational program will work

– Duration of the overall program– Length of each rotation– Types of rotations – all technical or a mix of

technical and business– Commitment required by each participant

both during and after the program– Relocation policy

10

Find Qualified Candidates

• Define the selection process and criteria that works for the company– Nomination by management vs self nomination– Required years of experience– Required education– Proof of technical expertise and leadership ability through letters of

recommendation– Demonstrated interest in systems engineering

Look for candidates with the potential to become high caliber systems engineers who continually to challenge themselves

11

Identify Challenging Rotations

• Provide challenging work assignments– Achieve buy-in from managers that the engineer can provide value in a short

amount of time– Ensure the rotation increases the engineer’s awareness and exposure to systems

engineering and the company– Work with the employee to determine the experiences they need to broaden their

knowledge base• Requirements Analysis• Systems Architecting• Integration and Test• Risk management

Increase the individual’s exposure to different disciplines, program sizes, lifecycle phases, job assignments, leadership styles, cultures, and customers

12

Provide Relocation Support

• To gain the most out of rotating, the engineer will need to physically move around the company

– Determine if there are policies in place to support this• Ship/rent vehicle• Lodging assistance if individual has a mortgage

– Define how this will work for single, married, and employees with children• Decide if there is support for spouses and children to move around too

– Consider if trips home can be funded

13

Obtain Upper Management Backing

• Encourage management to be supportive of taking on rotating engineers

– Reassure teams that the engineer will also be sharing their knowledge from another site

– Recommend managers utilize the engineer for challenging short term tasks

• Provide financial support for relocation– Projects providing the rotational experience are not likely to also pay for the

relocation– Host organization may need to pay for employee’s relocation (housing, car, etc.) if

they are already paying a mortgage

Upper management needs to support the rotational program in both technical and financial areas

14

Conclusion

• Rotational programs can help fill the need for experienced systems engineers

– Quickly increase the technical development and systems engineering proficiency of employees

– Strengthen the knowledge sharing network around the company.

• Management support is required to keep the program effective and feasible for employees

Backup

16

About the Author

• B.S. Electrical Engineering

• M.S. Systems Engineering

• Northrop Grumman Systems Engineer– Started rotational program with 6 years of experience as an integration and test

engineer– Participated in 4 rotations over 2 years

• New technology development and customer demonstration• Requirements development• Modeling and simulation• System architecting• Program audits

17

Photo Credit

• F-35 LIGHTNING II PROGRAM Photo Gallery– www.jsf.mil/gallery/gal_photo_sdd_f35atest.htm

• A Case Study and Analysis of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Failure– Smith, Doug, 99.497 Engineering Project, Department of Mechanical Engineering,

Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, March 29, 1974, Supervised by Professor G. Kardos.