In this module, will begin by describing the overall design process by tying in the concepts that we have learned to date into something that can be planned and tracked during execution. We will then learn about the "Big Three" design reviews, namely the System Requirements Review, or SRR; the Preliminary Design Review, or PDR; and the Critical Design Review, or CDR. In addition to the reviews, the Systems Engineering process also incorporates a series of audits to ensure that the documentation is all squared away. The most commonly used audits are the Functional and Physical Configuration Audits, the FCA and PCA.

In this module, we will go over the topic of manufacturability. How do incorporate manufacturability considerations into the design process? It is considered so important that it has its own acronym, DFM, or Design for Manufacturability. We will also cover the process used for evaluating how ready a company is to scale up from low-volume development to high-volume production. In the second part of the module, we will learn about trade studies and how to conduct one.

In this module, we are going to learn about what I call the "other engineering disciplines." I am going to group Software into this very loosely defined umbrella title with the hopes that I don't earn the ire of those who have chosen that as their profession. Rhis is more a sign of my own lack of close familiarity with the discipline. I have learned that managing development programs that include a significant software effort deserves special consideration when it comes to coordinating software development with hardware development and properly allocating time and resources to get both sides of the development effort completed. I will also cover what I call "the -illities" or the engineering disciplines like Reliability, Maintainability and others. I may even work in a few F/A-18 stories along the way!

In this final module, we will look at how our most precious asset, our people, are assigned to a particular design effort. What are some of the important considerations that go into those decisions. We will also look at some of my favorite leadership traits from my time in the Marine Corps and how those can be applied to working in the aerospace industry. Systems Engineering is by nature a leadership role, at least at certain times, so it is important to think about leadership well before the moment we find ourselves in the spotlight.