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Category: Systems Engineering & Project Management

Systems Engineering Changes to Be Aware of at INCOSE and ATI

Posted on by Bob
A recent ATI blog from 2022 discussed the INCOSE Certification process; you can read that blog here. The Systems Engineering Handbook is the source for INCOSE SE certification exams.  The 2015 SE handbook (revision 4) had a major revision in July 2023 to revision 5. The purposes of this article are (1) to discuss how […]

A recent ATI blog from 2022 discussed the INCOSE Certification process; you can read that blog here.

The Systems Engineering Handbook is the source for INCOSE SE certification exams.  The 2015 SE handbook (revision 4) had a major revision in July 2023 to revision 5. The purposes of this article are (1) to discuss how technology and world events have driven Systems Engineering and (2) to discuss advances since 2015 in SE research, practice, terminology, approaches, tools, and processes.  

World War II was the beginning of Systems Engineering. Systems started to substantially increase in size, complexity, interdependency, and functional specialization. This drove the need to have a System Engineer orchestrate the technical iterative and recursive development requirements, architecture, design, tradeoffs, and analysis processes over the system life cycle.  Software and computers started to appear.  The Silicon Integrated Chips dramatically improved the advances in computers and software’s capabilities and value. Moore’s law states that the number of transistors on a chip double about every two years, though the cost of computer halves.  

In 1994 DoD shifted from Military standards to commercial standards. This was because the commercial market was now the primary driver of technology.  This shift also followed commercial world use of more incremental and agile approaches toward development of Systems and Software.

The SE handbook (rev 4) was consistent with ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2015, INCOSE Work Groups, and the body of Knowledge for the INCOSE certification process.  The SE Handbook is also used as an SE desktop reference book.  The SE Book of Knowledge was becoming the greater elaboration of SE “good” practice and more frequently updated. The SE fundamentals have remained the same since the late 1990s for Planned or Software waterfall life cycle approaches.

Since 2015 in Systems Engineering research, practice, terminology, approaches, tools, and processes have made dramatic improvements to deal with the following changes in technology and world events:

  • Large increase in software intensive systems
  • SE research and tools are rapidly being put into practice to deal with the following.
    • System interfaces (loosely defined, plug and play, MOSA, and rapidly changing)
    • SoS, Enabling systems, dependencies, and legacy systems.
    • Systems being used with other systems not originally designed to work together.
    • Tailor SE for cost and schedule overrun risk for appropriate amount of rigor based on approaches, types, and Domain/Sector.
    • Supply chain issues and increase in remote working caused by COVID, wars, embargoes, and economic considerations (Example IT support from India).
    • Terminology and processes are being adjusted for more flexibility and wider acceptance.
    • Concern about cyber security.
    • Rise in ISO/IEC/IEEE standards for systems and software Engineering
    • INCOSE proliferation of guides for SE subspecialties and topics.

As a result of the dramatic changes to the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook, the following updates to existing ATI SE courses are announced.   

           SE Tailoring Course Updated (Offering in 2023). Go here to register for Free Session or register for the Full Course here.

           Fundamental of SE Course (including On-Demand version) Updated (Offering in 2023). Go here to register for current SE Fundamentals on-demand class, or wait for the updated class coming soon.

           CSEP Exam Preparation Course– Updated (Offering late in 2023).  This updated course will be available in January 2024.  Please let us know if you are interested in the updated class, and we will make sure we send you updates on how to register for this class. 

Please consider enrolling in one or more of these ATI courses to remain current with INCOSE SE practices.

The Value of Short-Course Technical Training

Posted on by Bob
I could not imagine living in a house that does not have a basement.  While most people would simply discard anything that doesn’t fit in the main level of their house, I simply move it to the basement.  So, my basement is quite full of junk.  Sometimes, I need to find something in my basement, […]

I could not imagine living in a house that does not have a basement.  While most people would simply discard anything that doesn’t fit in the main level of their house, I simply move it to the basement.  So, my basement is quite full of junk.  Sometimes, I need to find something in my basement, and I search endlessly, and eventually give up and declare the item “missing”.  In the process of searching, however, I often find things that had previously been declared “missing”.  So, I have come to learn that nothing is ever “missing”, it simply is waiting for a later time to be found.

I thought about my basement when I read about a recent discovery by scientists studying data received from the James Webb Space Telescope.  This telescope is the largest optical telescope in space.  It’s high-resolution and high-sensitivity instruments make it capable of viewing objects too distant or too faint for the Hubble Telescope.  This telescope has been in space for only a little more than a year, and it is already sending back data and images that are simply amazing.

Similar to my basement adventures, scientists were recently looking for one thing using the James Webb Space Telescope, and they discovered something entirely different.  NASA scientist were looking for a previously-discovered asteroid, but were unable to find it due its brightness and an offset in the telescope’s direction.  While they could not see the asteroid they were looking for, they did discover another asteroid which had never been seen before.  The new asteroid was very small, demonstrating that the James Webb Telescope was capable of finding asteroids smaller than anything which was previously discoverable with Hubble.  The mission had been declared a failure, but was now declared a great success.

I found this story particularly interesting because in addition to reminding me of my cluttered basement, it also made me think about how many different scientists, and how many different disciplines, and how many different engineering achievements were necessary to ultimately find this asteroid.  It was not a single person, or even a single team of people that got us here.  Designing and building the Telescope was the first task at hand, and that required massive amounts of Systems Engineering and manufacturing expertise.  Launching the Space Telescope into space with a Ariane 5 Rocket was also a huge feat, which required the skills of another team.  Daily operations of the telescope and managing the data from the telescope require even more attention from a completely different set of scientists.  There is huge number of people that had their hands on this discovery, and the future discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope.

To be a well-rounded scientist or engineer, one should have a basic level of understanding of each of the disciplines that contribute to his or her area of expertise.  Short-Course Technical Training like what is offered by Applied Technology Institute is a great way to acquire that basic level of understanding.  ATI can not replace the intensive training a scientist acquired in his or her field of expertise; there is no way a 4-day short course can substitute for a long and rigorous college education.  ATI short-courses can, however, offer a way for a scientist or engineer to become more aware of the many disciplines which work in unison with their field of expertise.  And, even within a scientist’s field of expertise, short-courses can help refresh certain areas of their training.

A complete list of upcoming ATI short-courses, as well a complete list of available short-courses can be found at the ATI homepage ( www.aticourses.com ).  We hope to see you in an upcoming ATI short-course, or an upcoming ATI Free-Session soon.

Certified Systems Engineering Prep ( CSEP ) Exam Preparation

Posted on by Bob
How many of you know about the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) or the various INCOSE Certifications including Associate Systems Engineering Professional ( ASEP ), Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP), or Expert Systems Engineering Professional ( ESEP )? The purpose of this Blog post is to enlighten those who are not aware of the […]

How many of you know about the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) or the various INCOSE Certifications including Associate Systems Engineering Professional ( ASEP ), Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP), or Expert Systems Engineering Professional ( ESEP )?

The purpose of this Blog post is to enlighten those who are not aware of the INCOSE organization, or the INCOSE certifications.  Both of these are things that most Systems Engineers should already know about, and if you don’t, you may find this informative.

INCOSE is comprised of nearly 20,000 Systems Engineering Professionals.  Their mission, as stated on their web page, is “to address complex societal and technical challenges by enabling, promoting, and advancing Systems Engineering and systems approaches.”  Also from their web page, the goals of INCOSE are to 1) be a focal point for dissemination of systems engineering knowledge, 2) promote international collaboration 3) Assure the establishment of professional standards in systems engineering, 4) improve the professional status of all systems engineers, and 5) encourage governmental and industrial support for Systems Engineering.  There is a wealth of other information on their web page, so anyone interested in INCOSE should visit the INCOSE Web site.

One of the services that INCOSE has provided is a mechanism for Systems Engineers to be certified at some level as a Systems Engineering Professional ( ASEP, CSEP or ESEP ), indicating that they have met all of the standards defined by INCOSE, indicating that the individual is a qualified Systems Engineer.   Earning an INCOSE certification is not easy, but it is something that over 3000 individuals have accomplished to date.

Mark Wilson, from Strategy Bridge and INCOSE recently published a study where he pontificates on whether or not the INCOSE CSEP certification is worthwhile.   Warning, spoilers coming, leave this page immediately if you don’t want to know how the story ends …….  He concludes that the INCOSE SE certifications ARE worthwhile, both for the individual who earns the certification, and for the organization that employs that individual.

Earning the ASEP certification requires that the individual pass a rigorous exam demonstrating knowledge of Systems Engineering concepts.  CSEP certification also requires that the individual have a demonstrated track record of having worked successfully in a Systems Engineering role.  ESEP certification simply raises the bar and requires more experience.    To prepare for the exam, candidates often take a short-course which reviews many of the concepts that are tested.

Applied Technology Institute offers a 3-day short course called CSEP Preparation which will prepare students for the INCOSE SE exam, applicable to any of the three certification levels.  This course walks through the CSEP requirements and the INCOSE Handbook to cover all topics that might be on the INCOSE exam. Interactive work, study plans, and three sets of sample examination questions help you to prepare effectively for the exam. Participants leave the course with solid knowledge, a hard copy of the INCOSE Handbook, study plans, and a sample examination.

ATI will be offering the next CSEP Prep ( live virtual ) class starting on November 15, 2022.  Students may register for this class using the link above. 

We hope to see you at the CSEP Prep course in November. 

If you are interested in other courses currently offered by ATI, you can view our schedule of upcoming classes here.

Recall That Curiosity Rover Was Delivered to Mars by an ATLAS Rocket in 2011

Posted on by Bob
There are so many Space Exploration Missions that are on the front page of the papers now, New Horizons for example.  Let us not forget about ongoing missions that are no longer getting as much publicity at they may deserve, JPL Mars Science Lab Curiosity Rover Mission for example.The Curiosity Rover Mission was launched in […]

There are so many Space Exploration Missions that are on the front page of the papers now, New Horizons for example.  Let us not forget about ongoing missions that are no longer getting as much publicity at they may deserve, JPL Mars Science Lab Curiosity Rover Mission for example.

The Curiosity Rover Mission was launched in November 2011 for an 8-month trip to Mars.  Once on Mars, the Curiosity Mission was expected to last 2 years.  Amazingly, the Curiosity Rover Mission is still in progress, and periodic updates on the status of that mission are still being posted at https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/mars-rover-curiosity-mission-updates/

The success of that mission did not start when the Rover started sending back amazing pictures from Mars.  The success of that mission started when the Rocket and Launch Vehicle propelled Rover into Space.    The Atlas V-541 Rocket selected for this mission and built by Boeing Corp and Lockheed Martin Corp.  performed as designed.  If it had not performed as well as it did, the entire mission could have been in jeopardy.  Rockets and Launch Vehicles are truly acritical component of every mission.

ATI is offering a Course on Rocket and Launch Vehicles in Columbia, Maryland from February 11 to 14, 2019.  The course is being taught by Edward Keith, a multi-discipline Launch Vehicle System Engineer, specializing in integration of launch vehicle technology, design, modeling and business strategies.  There is still time to enroll in this class, and you will be finished in time to get home for dinner on Valentine’s day! 

Please consider learning more about this ATI offering, and enroll in the ATI class, by going to https://aticourses.com/rockets_launch_vehicles.html

 

How to Promote Your ATI Course in Social Media

Posted on by admin
How to Promote Your ATI Course in Social Media LinkedIn for ATI Rocket Scientists   Did you know that for 52% of professionals and executives, their LinkedIn profile is the #1 or #2 search result when someone searches on their name? For ATI instructors, that number is substantially lower – just 17%. One reason is […]
How to Promote Your ATI Course in Social Media LinkedIn for ATI Rocket Scientists   Did you know that for 52% of professionals and executives, their LinkedIn profile is the #1 or #2 search result when someone searches on their name? For ATI instructors, that number is substantially lower – just 17%. One reason is that about 25% of ATI instructors do not have a LinkedIn profile. Others have done so little with their profile that it isn’t included in the first page of search results. If you are not using your LinkedIn profile, you are missing a huge opportunity. When people google you, your LinkedIn profile is likely the first place they go to learn about you. You have little control over what other information might be available on the web about you. But you have complete control over your LinkedIn profile. You can use your profile to tell your story – to give people the exact information you want them to have about your expertise and accomplishments.   Why not take advantage of that to promote your company, your services, and your course? Here are some simple ways to promote your course using LinkedIn… On Your LinkedIn Profile Let’s start by talking about how to include your course on your LinkedIn profile so it is visible anytime someone googles you or visits your profile. 1. Add your role as an instructor. Let people know that this course is one of the ways you share your knowledge. You can include your role as an instructor in several places on your profile:
  • Experience – This is the equivalent of listing your role as a current job. (You can have more than one current job.) Use Applied Technology Institute as the employer. Make sure you drag and drop this role below your full-time position.
  • Summary – Your summary is like a cover letter for your profile – use it to give people an overview of who you are and what you do. You can mention the type of training you do, along with the name of your course.
  • Projects – The Projects section gives you an excellent way to share the course without giving it the same status as a full-time job.
  • Headline – Your Headline comes directly below your name, at the top of your profile. You could add “ATI Instructor” at the end of your current Headline.
Start with an introduction, such as “I teach an intensive course through the Applied Technology Institute on [course title]” and copy/paste the description from your course materials or the ATI website. You can add a link to the course description on the ATI website. This example from Tom Logsdon’s profile, shows how you might phrase it:   Here are some other examples of instructors who include information about their courses on their LinkedIn profile:
  • Buddy Wellborn – His Headline says “Instructor at ATI” and Buddy includes details about the course in his Experience section.
  • D. Lee Fugal – Mentions the course in his Summary and Experience.
  • Jim Jenkins – Courses are included throughout Jim’s profile, including his Headline, Summary, Experience, Projects, and Courses.
  • 2. Link to your course page.
In the Contact Info section of your LinkedIn profile, you can link out to three websites. To add your course, go to Edit Profile, then click on Contact Info (just below your number of connections, next to a Rolodex card icon). Click on the pencil icon to the right of Websites to add a new site. Choose the type of website you are adding. The best option is “Other:” as that allows you to insert your own name for the link. You have 35 characters – you can use a shortened version of your course title or simply “ATI Course.” Then copy/paste the link to the page about your course. This example from Jim Jenkins’ profile shows how a customized link looks:   3. Upload course materials. You can upload course materials to help people better understand the content you cover. You could include PowerPoint presentations (from this course or other training), course handouts (PDFs), videos or graphics. They can be added to your Summary, Experience or Project. You can see an example of an upload above, in Tom Logsdon’s profile. 4. Add skills related to your course. LinkedIn allows you to include up to 50 skills on your profile. If your current list of skills doesn’t include the topics you cover in your course, you might want to add them. Go to the Skills & Endorsements section on your Edit Profile page, then click on Add skill. Start typing and let LinkedIn auto-complete your topic. If your exact topic isn’t included in the suggestions, you can add it. 5. Ask students for recommendations. Are you still in touch with former students who were particularly appreciative of the training you provided in your course? You might want to ask them for a recommendation that you can include on your profile. Here are some tips on asking for recommendations from LinkedIn expert Viveka Von Rosen. 6. Use an exciting background graphic. You can add an image at the top of your profile – perhaps a photo of you teaching the course, a photo of your course materials, a graphic from your presentation, or simply some images related to your topic. You can see an example on Val Traver’s profile. Go to Edit Profile, then run your mouse over the top of the page (just above your name). You will see the option to Edit Background. Click there and upload your image. The ideal size is 1400 pixels by 425. LinkedIn prefers a JPG, PNG or GIF. Of course, only upload an image that you have permission to use.   Share News about Your Course You can also use LinkedIn to attract more attendees to your course every time you teach. 7. When a course date is scheduled, share the news as a status update. This lets your connections know that you are teaching a course – it’s a great way to reach the people who are most likely to be interested and able to make referrals. Go to your LinkedIn home page, and click on the box under your photo that says “Share an update.” Copy and paste the URL of the page on the ATI website that has the course description. Once the section below populates with the ATI Courses logo and the course description, delete the URL. Replace it with a comment such as: “Looking forward to teaching my next course on [title] for @Applied Technology Institute on [date] at [location].” Note that when you finish typing “@Applied Technology Institute” it will give you the option to click on the company name. When you do that ATI will know you are promoting the course, and will be deeply grateful! When people comment on your update, it’s nice to like their comment or reply with a “Thank you!” message. Their comment shares the update with their network, so they are giving your course publicity. If you want to start doing more with status updates, here are some good tips about what to share (and what not to share) from LinkedIn expert Kim Garst. 8. Share the news in LinkedIn Groups. If you have joined any LinkedIn Groups in your areas of expertise, share the news there too. Of course, in a Group you want to phrase the message a little differently. Instead of “Looking forward to teaching…” you might say “Registration is now open for…” or “For everyone interested in [topic], I’m teaching…” You could also ask a thought-provoking question on one of the topics you cover. Here are some tips about how to start an interesting discussion in a LinkedIn Group. 9. Post again if you still have seats available. If the course date is getting close and you are looking for more people to register, you should post again. The text below will work as a status update and in most LinkedIn Groups. “We still have several seats open for my course on [title] on [date] at [location]. If you know of anyone who might be interested, could you please forward this? Thanks. ” “We have had a few last-minute cancellations for my course on [title] on [date] at [location]. Know anyone who might be interested in attending?” 10. Blog about the topic of the course. When you publish blog posts on LinkedIn using their publishing platform, you get even more exposure than with a status update:
  • The blog posts are pushed out to all your connections.
  • They stay visible on your LinkedIn profile, and
  • They are made available to Google and other search engines.
A blog post published on LinkedIn will rank higher than one posted elsewhere, because LinkedIn is such an authority site. So this can give your course considerable exposure. You probably have written articles or have other content relevant to the course. Pick something that is 750-1500 words. To publish it, go to your LinkedIn home page, and click on the link that says “Publish a post.” The interface is very simple – easier than using Microsoft Word. Include an image if you can. You probably have something in your training materials that will be perfect. At the end of the post, add a sentence that says: “To learn more, attend my course on [title].” Link the title to the course description on the ATI website. For more tips about blogging, you are welcome to join ProResource’s online training website. The How to Write Blog Posts for LinkedIn course is free. Take the first step The most important version of your bio in the digital world is your LinkedIn summary. If you only make one change as a result of reading this blog post, it should be to add a strong summary to your LinkedIn profile. Write the summary promoting yourself as an expert in your field, not as a job seeker. Here are some resources that can help: Write the first draft of your profile in a word processing program to spell-check and ensure you are within the required character counts. Then copy/paste it into the appropriate sections of your LinkedIn profile. You will have a stronger profile that tells your story effectively with just an hour or two of work! Contributed by guest blogger Judy Schramm. Schramm is the CEO of ProResource, a marketing agency that works with thought leaders to help them create a powerful and effective presence in social media. ProResource offers done-for-you services as well as social media executive coaching. Contact Judy Schramm at jschramm@proresource.com or 703-824-8482.  

New INCOSE CSEP Handbook v4.0 to be Released! Pass the CSEP test Now!

Posted on by Lisa
New INCOSE Handbook – New CSEP Opportunities The newest INCOSE SE Handbook (version 4.0) is expected this month (June 2015). Now is a great time to plan for the CSEP/ASEP exam best suited to you, because the transition gives you a choice!. Insider Hint – Since the CSEP application process can be long and time […]
New INCOSE Handbook – New CSEP Opportunities The newest INCOSE SE Handbook (version 4.0) is expected this month (June 2015). Now is a great time to plan for the CSEP/ASEP exam best suited to you, because the transition gives you a choice!. Insider Hint – Since the CSEP application process can be long and time intensive, sign up first to become an ASPE. Once you pass the exam, you then can take your time to complete the more demanding CSEP application process. The Handbook was delayed to coincide with the recent release of ISO-15288. Now INCOSE will offer a transition period for you. From now through December 2015, the current exam will continue to be primary, based on Handbook v3.2.2. The new exam will become primary in January 2016 – but the new exam can also be available by special request as early as July. ATI matches the transition with our Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) Preparation course. You can still take our 2-day course based on Handbook v3.2.2 on July 7-8, 2015 in Chantilly, VA. Or you can expand your knowledge with our new 3-day version based on Handbook 4.0 on September 24-26 (and forward). The new course will cover the significant expansion in the new Handbook (another 50 pages!) and will also include more exercises and activities to help you “seal in” the knowledge for the exam. You can choose! Take the shorter course and get your ASEP/CSEP now, before the change – or take the longer course to get the full set of new knowledge and more learning activities. Either way, you advance your career by gaining the INCOSE certification!  
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Under President Obama, the PUBLIC Sector is Doing Fine

Posted on by admin
Typical Agile Project Management Process Video Clip: Click to Watch Do You Know How to Satisfy the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Requirements (Circular A-11) while Applying an Agile Execution Approach? If you answered NO, Then you should take our Agile Projects in the Government Environment Course In this powerful two-day course, you’ll grasp the […]
Typical Agile Project Management Process
Typical Agile Project Management Process
Video Clip: Click to Watch
Do You Know How to Satisfy the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Requirements (Circular A-11) while Applying an Agile Execution Approach? If you answered NO, Then you should take our Agile Projects in the Government Environment Course
In this powerful two-day course, you’ll grasp the concepts, principles, and structure of Agile development and how these are being applied in the unique federal environment. A common misconception is that Agility means lack of order or discipline, but that’s incorrect. It requires strong discipline. You must have a solid foundation of practices and procedures in order to successfully adapt Agile in the Government environment, and you must also learn to follow those practices correctly while tying them to pre-defined, rigid quality goals. This workshop gives you the foundation of knowledge and experience you need in order to be successful on your next federal project. Define principles and highlight advantages and disadvantages of Agile development and how to map them to federal guidelines for IT procurement, development and delivery. Get firsthand experience organizing and participating in an Agile team. Put the concepts you learn to practice instantly in the classroom project. Understand and learn how to take advantage of the opportunities for Agile, while applying them within current government project process requirements. Specifically, you will • Consistently deliver better products that will enable your customer’s success • Reduce the risk of project failure, missed deadlines, scope overrun or exceeded budgets • Establish, develop, empower, nurture and protect high-performing teams • Identify and eliminate waste from processes • Map government project language to Agile language simply and effectively • Foster collaboration, even with teams that are distributed geographically and organizationally • Clearly understand how EVM and Agile can be integrated • Understand the structure of Agile processes that breed success in the federal environment • Embrace ever-changing requirements Who Should Attend Because this is an immersion course and the intent is to engage in the practices every Agile team will employ, this course is recommended for all team members responsible for delivering outstanding software. That includes, but is not limited to, the following roles: • Business Analyst • Technical Analyst • Project Manager • Software Engineer/Programmer • Development Manager • Product Manager • Product Analyst • Tester • QA Engineer • Documentation Specialist The Agile Boot Camp is a perfect place for cross functional “teams” to become familiar with Agile methods and learn the basics together. It’s also a wonderful springboard for team building & learning. Bring your project detail to work on in class. About the Applied Technology Institute (ATI) Since 1984, the Applied Technology Institute (ATI) has provided leading-edge public courses and onsite technical training to DoD and NASA personnel, as well as contractors. Whether you are a busy engineer, a technical expert or a project manager, you can enhance your understanding of complex systems in a short time. You will become aware of the basic vocabulary essential to interact meaningfully with your colleagues. If you or your team is in need of more technical training, then boost your career with the knowledge needed to provide better, faster, and cheaper solutions for sophisticated DoD and NASA systems. What You Will Learn • Consistently deliver better products that will enable your customer’s success • Reduce the risk of project failure, missed deadlines, scope overrun or exceeded budgets • Establish, develop, empower, nurture and protect high-performing teams • Identify and eliminate waste from processes • Map government project language to Agile language simply and effectively • Foster collaboration, even with teams that are distributed geographically and organizationally • Clearly understand how EVM and Agile can be integrated • Understand the structure of Agile processes that breed success in the federal environment • Embrace ever-changing requirements for your customer’s competitive advantage Why not take a short course? ATI short courses are less than a week long and are designed to help you keep your professional knowledge up-to-date. Our courses provide a practical overview of space and defense technologies which provide a strong foundation for an understanding the issues that must be confronted in the use, regulation and development of complex systems. Dates and Locations For the dates and locations of these short courses, please see below: Jul 19-20, 2012 Baltimore, MD Aug 9-10, 2012 Washington, DC Sep 13-14, 2012 Herndon, VA Oct 18-19, 2012 Columbia, MD Sincerely, The ATI Courses Team P.S Call today for registration at 410-956-8805 or 888-501-2100 or access our website at www.ATIcourses.com. For general questions please email us at ATI@ATIcourses.com

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Defense Budgets: Will It Be Army versus Navy versus Air Force

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Cuts in the defense budgets will put stress on all the services. Will it lead to cut throat competition? If the congressional Super Committee fails to find an acceptable solution, the Pentagon would have to cut $600 billion. This would mean cutting up to $100 billion from the fiscal 2013 budget alone. This is a […]
Cuts in the defense budgets will put stress on all the services. Will it lead to cut throat competition? If the congressional Super Committee fails to find an acceptable solution, the Pentagon would have to cut $600 billion. This would mean cutting up to $100 billion from the fiscal 2013 budget alone. This is a good article summarizing the positions of each service. http://defense.aol.com/2011/09/14/biggest-service-food-fight-in-a-generation/

Are Your Soft Skills Hard on Your Career?

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  Video Clip: Click to Watch “Soft Skills” May Help You Get or Keep a Job In a 2008 survey of more than 2,000 businesses in the state of Washington, employers said entry-level workers in a variety of professions were lacking in several areas, including problem solving, conflict resolution and critical observation. You’ll likely see […]
Even He Can't Do It Alone
  Video Clip: Click to Watch “Soft Skills” May Help You Get or Keep a Job In a 2008 survey of more than 2,000 businesses in the state of Washington, employers said entry-level workers in a variety of professions were lacking in several areas, including problem solving, conflict resolution and critical observation. You’ll likely see these “soft skills” in job descriptions, after demands for technical qualifications. Employment experts agree that tech skills may get you an interview, but these soft skills will get you the job and keep it. Since 1984, ATI has provided leading-edge public courses and onsite technical training to DoD and NASA personnel, as well as contractors. Some of our courses cover these “soft skills” as well. One of these “soft skills” is teamwork. Forming and leading teams is critical to becoming a successful leader. Successful leaders learn good team formation skills teamwork is a keystone of effective projects. Some of our teamwork related courses are summarized below. ATI PROJECT DOMINANCE COURSE This two-day course is designed for engineers, scientists and managers who work in the projects domain on complex systems. Students will learn how to build a cancellation-resistant project, how to form and lead a world-class project team and how to lead the entire effort to a successful conclusion. Cross-discipline and inter-generational techniques are taught and key topics are reinforced with small-team exercises. Attendees are given the Meyers-Briggs© assessment – many discover mismatches in temperament and assignment. All learn how to be much more effective on Project Teams. ATI’S PROJECT MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND LEADERSHIP COURSE This class is an introductory class to the Project Management discipline. It includes the basics of Project Management as well as Leadership as it pertains to Project Management. This course is intended for project managers and team leaders who need a good foundation for further study in Project Management. There are no prerequisites for this course. ATI’S FUNDAMENTALS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT COURSE Today’s complex systems present difficult challenges to develop. From military systems to aircraft to environmental and electronic control systems, development teams must face the challenges with an arsenal of proven methods. Individual systems are more complex, and systems operate in much closer relationship, requiring a system-of-systems approach to the overall design. This three-day workshop presents the fundamentals of project management approach to solving complex problems. What you will learn: • How to prepare a sound plan for your project and maximize your probability of success • How to achieve Buy-In from the people who will perform the work on the project • How to deal with conflict and also to use it to the advantage of your project • Techniques for monitoring and controlling the outcome of your project • Effective approaches to managing multiple projects Course Outline, Samplers, and Notes Determine for yourself the value of our courses before you sign up. See our samples (See Slide Samples) on some of our courses. Or check out the new ATI channel on YouTube. After attending the course you will receive a full set of detailed notes from the class for future reference, as well as a certificate of completion. Please visit our website for more valuable information.

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Every Spring, the Pros Get Back to the Fundamentals, Do You?

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Video Clip: Click to Watch Spring into Fundamentals with a Short Course from the Applied Technology Institute (ATI) Do you return to the fundamentals of your profession once a year like professional baseball players do? Dictionary.com defines fundamental as: “a basic principle, rule, law, or the like, that serves as the groundwork of a system; essential part: […]
Video Clip: Click to Watch
Spring into Fundamentals with a Short Course from the Applied Technology Institute (ATI) Do you return to the fundamentals of your profession once a year like professional baseball players do? Dictionary.com defines fundamental as: “a basic principle, rule, law, or the like, that serves as the groundwork of a system; essential part: to master the fundamentals of a trade”. Since 1984, the Applied Technology Institute (ATI) has provided leading-edge public courses and onsite technical training to DoD and NASA personnel, as well as contractors. Some ATI short courses are designed to reinforce fundamental professional knowledge. Our short courses are designed for individuals involved in planning, designing, building, launching, and operating space and defense systems. Whether you are a busy engineer, a technical expert or a project manager, you can enhance your understanding of complex systems in a short time while keeping necessary skills up-to-date. Our courses provide a practical overview of space and defense technologies which provide a strong foundation for understanding the issues that must be confronted in the use, regulation and development such intricate systems. You will also become aware of the basic vocabulary essential to interact meaningfully with your colleagues. The three courses below emphasize the fundamentals. They are all offered soon or they can be scheduled at your facility. Please see our website for more information. ATI’S FUNDAMENTALS OF RF TECHNOLOGY COURSE This two-day course is designed for engineers that are non specialists in Radio Frequency (RF) engineering, but are involved in the design or analysis of communication systems including digital designers, managers, procurement engineers, etc. The course emphasizes RF fundamentals in terms of physical principles behavioral concepts permitting the student to quickly gain an intuitive understanding of the subject with minimal mathematical complexity. These principles are illustrated using modern examples of wireless components such as Bluetooth, Cell Phone and Paging, and 802.11 Data Communications Systems. What You Will Learn: • How to recognize the physical properties that make RF circuits and systems unique • What the important parameters are that characterize RF circuits • How to interpret RF Engineering performance data • What the considerations are in combining RF circuits into systems • How to evaluate RF Engineering risks such as instabilities, noise, and interference, etc. • How performance assessments can be enhanced with basic engineering tools ATI’S FUNDAMENTALS OF SONAR AND TARGET MOTION ANALYSIS COURSE This three-day course is designed for SONAR systems engineers, combat systems engineers, undersea warfare professionals, and managers who wish to enhance their understanding of this discipline or become familiar with the “big picture” if they work outside of the discipline. Each topic is illustrated by worked numerical examples, using simulated or experimental data for actual undersea acoustic situations and geometries. From this course you will obtain the knowledge and ability to perform basic SONAR and USW systems engineering calculations, identify tradeoffs, interact meaningfully with colleagues, evaluate systems, and understand the literature. What You Will Learn: • What are of the various types of SONAR systems in use on Naval platforms today? • What are the major principles governing their design and operation? • How is the data produced by these systems used operationally to conduct Target Motion Analysis and USW? • What are the typical commercial and scientific uses of SONAR and how do these relate to military use? • What are the other military uses of SONAR systems (i.e. those NOT used to support Target Motion Analysis)? • What are the major cost drivers for undersea acoustic systems? From this course you will obtain the knowledge, skill and ability to configure a communications payload based on its service requirements and technical features. You will understand the engineering processes and device characteristics that determine how the payload is put together and operates in a state-of-the-art telecommunications system to meet user needs. ATI’S FUNDAMENTALS OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING COURSE Today’s complex systems present difficult challenges to develop. From military systems to aircraft to environmental and electronic control systems, development teams must face the challenges with an arsenal of proven methods. Individual systems are more complex, and systems operate in much closer relationship, requiring a system-of-systems approach to the overall design. This two-day workshop presents the fundamentals of a systems engineering approach to solving complex problems. It covers the underlying attitudes as well as the process definitions that make up systems engineering. The model presented is a research-proven combination of the best existing standards. Participants in this workshop practice the processes on a realistic system development. You Should Attend This Workshop If You Are: • Working in any sort of system development • Project leader or key member in a product development team • Looking for practical methods to use today This Course is Aimed at: • Project leaders, • Technical team leaders, • Design engineers, and • Others participating in system development Course Outline, Samplers, and Notes Determine for yourself the value of our courses before you sign up. See our samples (See Slide Samples) on some of our courses. Or check out the new ATI channel on YouTube. After attending the course you will receive a full set of detailed notes from the class for future reference, as well as a certificate of completion. Please visit our website for more valuable information. About the Instructors and ATI ATI’s instructors are world-class experts who are the best in the business. They are carefully selected for their ability to clearly explain advanced technology. Our mission here at ATI is to provide expert training and the highest quality professional development in space, communications, defense, sonar, radar, and signal processing. We are not a one-size-fits-all educational facility. Our short classes include both introductory and advanced courses. Times, Dates, and Locations For the times, dates and locations of all of our short courses, please access our schedule.

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Can You Pass the Certified Systems Engineers Professional (CSEP) Exam?

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Will YOU be part of the supply? Video Clip: Click to Watch Certified Systems Engineers Are In Demand Just as you would not attempt a state bar exam without studying, you should not attempt the CSEP (Certified Systems Engineer Professional) exam without preparation. By taking a preparatory course, you can yield great benefits in performance, stress […]
Will YOU be part of the supply?
Will YOU be part of the supply?
Video Clip: Click to Watch
Certified Systems Engineers Are In Demand
Just as you would not attempt a state bar exam without studying, you should not attempt the CSEP (Certified Systems Engineer Professional) exam without preparation. By taking a preparatory course, you can yield great benefits in performance, stress reduction and overall, greatly improve your chances of passing the exam. While the economy is down, the demand for systems engineers is still growing — but supply is low. To assist you in your career, the Applied Technology Institute (ATI) has added a CSEP preparation course to its curriculum. Systems engineering is a profession, practice and way of doing business that concentrates on the design and application of the whole system to produce a successful product or system. The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) has established a Professional Certification Program to provide a formal method for recognizing the knowledge and experience of systems engineers. The INCOSE CSEP rating is a coveted milestone in the career of a systems engineer, demonstrating knowledge, education and experience and is of high value to systems organizations. Course Outline, Samplers, and Notes Determine for yourself the value of our course before you sign up. For example click here to see our CSEP slide samples or click here to see ATI CSEP on YouTube. After attending the course you will receive a full set of detailed notes from the class for future reference, as well as a certificate of completion. Please visit our website for more valuable information. About ATI and the Instructors The instructor for this class is Eric Honour, an international consultant and lecturer, who has nearly forty year career of complex systems development & operation. He was Founder and former President of INCOSE. He has led the development of eighteen major systems, including the Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation systems and the Battle Group Passive Horizon Extension System. Dates, Times and Locations The dates and locations for our CSEP courses in 2011 are listed here: February 11-12, 2011, Orlando, FL March 30-31, 2011, Minneapolis, MN September 16, 2011, Chantilly, VA For a complete ATI course list, please access the links below. Sincerely, The ATI Courses Team P.S. Call today for registration at 410-956-8805 or 888-501-2100 or access our website at www.ATIcourses.com. For general questions please email us at ATI@ATIcourses.com.
Mark N. Lewellen
Consultant/Instructor
Washington, DC
240-882-1234