Software and Systems Engineering: Conflict and Consensus

Abstract

This chapter will identify the key aspects of software engineering and systems engineering in an effort to highlight areas of consensus and conflict to support current efforts by practitioners and academics in both disciplines in redefining their professions and bodies of knowledge. By using the Software Engineering Institute’s Capability Maturity Model –Integrated (CMMISM) project, which combines best practices from the systems and software engineering disciplines, it can be shown that significant point of agreement and consensus are evident. Nevertheless, valid objections to such integration remain as areas of conflict. This chapter will provide an opportunity for these two communities to resolve unnecessary differences in terminology and methodologies that are reflected in their different perspectives and entrenched in their organizational cultures.