Professor Derek K Hitchins

Leading Particulars

Derek retired from full time academic work in 1994 on medical grounds, and is now a part-time consultant, teacher, visiting professor and international lecturer. Formerly, he held the British Aerospace Chairs in Systems Science and in Command and Control, Cranfield University at RMCS Shrivenham. Prior to that he held the Chair in Engineering Management at City University, London.

Derek started as a Cranwell apprentice and retired as a wing commander from the Royal Air Force after 22 years, to join industry. His first industry appointments were as the System Design Manager of the Tornado F3 Avionics, Technical Co-ordinator for UKAIR CCIS, and UK Technical Director for the NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS) project in Brussels. He subsequently held posts in two leading systems engineering companies as Marketing Director, Business Development Director and Technical Director before becoming an academic in 1988.

His current research is into system thinking, system requirements, social psychology & anthropology, Egyptology, command & control, system design and world class systems engineering. He published his first book, "Putting Systems to Work", John Wiley & Sons, in 1992, has completed a second book, "Getting to Grips with Complexity". He co-authored "Guide to the Proper Practice of Systems Engineering," has published "Advanced Systems Thinking, Engineering and Management," Artech Hous, 2003, .and has two other books on the stocks: "The Pyramid Builder's Bandbook" and "the Secret Diaries of Hemiunu". He is currently planning a blockbuster: "Systems Engineering the Pyramids -Through the Eyes of the Architect."

He inaugurated the IEE’s PG M5 — Systems Engineering. He also started the UK Chapter of INCOSE and was its inaugural president. The main body of INCOSE has recently awarded him "Pioneer" status, the first non-US citizen to receive the award, and even more recentlyhe has become an INCOSE Fellow. He is active in consultancy, notably with defence aerospace organizations and for the UK police services, and as a guest lecturer on systems engineering, where he usually manages to introduce his hobbies of astronomy and Egyptology.

Finally, he has just developed what appears to be the first complete Systems Methodology -the "how" of systems engineering - which has been the Holy Grail of systems engineering for half a century or more. And, not surprisingly, perhaps, that has resulted in his latest book Systems Engineering: A 21st Century Systems Methodology, published by John Wiley & Sons in 2007/2008, in their Systems Engineering and Management Series...

Professional Qualifications

MSc CEng PhD FIEE FRAeS FCMI,

Staff College graduate

INCOSE Pioneer, INCOSE Fellow

Status: Married with 4 sons

Recent Appointments of Interest

1994 —

 
• ACPO Consultant with one of the UK’s police services, addressing aspects of policing business, organization and architectures; systems architect for their developing Command and Patrol information systems
• Visiting professor at Cranfield University’s Defence Faculty at RMCS Shrivenham, regular lecturer at City, Birmingham and Kingston Universities.
• Author and sole lecturer on Systems in Business for City University’s MSc in Air Transport Management
• Author and sole lecturer on Systems Thinking for University College, London.
• Lecturer on Systems in Business for City University's Air Transport Management MSc
• Originator, designer, supervisor, and primary lecturer on, BAe’s annual 2-week Systems Science School, teaching soft methods, systems thinking, hard methods and world class systems engineering.
• Expert adviser to the development of the UK’s NCVQ Levels 4 & 5 Systems Engineering.
• Author and presenter of numerous papers on Command and Control / Command Information Systems (C² / CIS), systems architecture, synthetic environments and systems engineering
• International lecturer on socio-economic, psychological, astronomical, theological and systems engineering aspects of the people and the Pyramids of Ancient Egypt
• Solo contractor to MOD, researching the theoretical and practical extent of defence command and control research
• Supervisor for 4 PhD students, researching decision making, industrial systems engineering, methods for analysing complex issues, defence procurement and the potential /limitations for commercial-off -the-shelf systems in defence command and control.
• Developing a unique, genetically-based design program for optimizing military and business organizations operating in chaotic environments. Under contract to both US and Swedish governments for the development of a prototype solution
• Exploring the contribution of social psychology and social anthropology to decision-making in industry and in Command & Control
• Founder of the UK Chapter of the International Council on Systems Engineering, inaugurated at RMCS Shrivenham
• Independent member of the UK Defence Scientific Advisory Council.

1990 — 94 BAe Professor of Systems Science, formerly Command and Control, Cranfield University at RMCS Shrivenham, researching into systems theories and methods for addressing issues, systems concept development, systems engineering and tools and methods for system architecture design, command and control systems design, interactive management, etc. Chairman of the IEE's M&D Division working party developing the Guide to the Practice of Systems Engineering. Regular guest lecturer to the UK Old Crows. Initiated and organized a number of international conferences, including IDASCO (Information- Decision-Action Systems in Complex Organizations), and the first UK-hosted US-UK defence Command & Control research forum. Member of an ENTRA Working Party developing systems engineering competency standards for National Vocational Qualifications. Management and systems consultant within industry, government, and three of the UK’s police services, supporting corporate strategy development, improvements in efficiency and effectiveness at HQs, organization and performance of emergency call response, geographic/area policing, etc.

1988 — 90 Professor of Engineering Management in the Department of Systems Science at City University. Teaching engineering management, marketing and technical innovation; responsible for launching an MBA in Engineering Management. Established a new Centre for Enterprise Management. Consultant to the National Operational Policing Review. Research into: a new methodology for creating Information-Decision-Action (IDA) systems; Systems Engineering, Analysis and Management (SEAMS), a systems engineering environment; creative design by cumulative selection, developing a new tool, ©CADRAT, for evolving N² charts and for Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM). ©CADRAT developed to identify optimal system architectures through minimization of system configuration entropy

1986 — 88 Business Development, Technical and Marketing Director of a major systems house. Technical interests in: air defence; advanced avionic architectures; land, sea and air BM/C³; financial dealing rooms; future platform processing architectures. Responsible for company quality and R&D. Inaugural chairman of the IEE's M5 Executive Committee on systems engineering. Winner of the 1987 IEE M&D Division Premium for paper on systems engineering management, "Managing Systems Creation". Directed corporate forward-looking techniques, research and development. Company lead for SDI Architecture and BMC³. Numerous papers, including Theatre Missile Defence and Advanced Multi-static Radar Techniques. Invented new design method based on natural selection analogy — SYSMORPH

1982 — 86 Technical director of a systems company concerned with C3I systems, NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS), JTIDS, and NIS. Designer of CLAN, an advanced, fully-distributed, real-time CCIS using Motorola 68x, Multibus, Cambridge-Ring and UNIX. Technical co-ordinator for RN JTIDS dual-mode terminal and its integration into RN ships. Technical lead for the design of TRANIS, a transitional NATO Identification System. UK Technical director with Airspace Management Systems, Brussels, studying Air Command and Control System (ACCS) Multi-sensor Integration, and Computer & ADP Options. Application of Knowledge Processing Systems to prototyping and to C³I Decision Support Systems. Introduced OSI ISO 7-layer model to JTIDS ship integration, and to CCISs for a number of 3rd-world countries, using CLAN, DEC VAX and AT&T machines. Author of numerous technical papers. UK technical lead for SDI Architecture and C³/Battle Management design in US-led consortium .

1980 — 82 Technical Co-ordinator for Project Definition UKAIR Command, Control and Intelligence System (CCIS) (ASR1300 & ASR1301) at HQSTC, High Wycombe, with special reference to requirements analysis, system architecture, data communications, interoperability, survivability, succession of command, secure, multi-level DBMS, human-computer interface, maintenance and life cycle costs. (This system was to become the hub of UK command and control for Granby/Desert Storm)

1979 — 80 Manager, Forward Looking Studies. In depth analysis, marketing and capture of new company business. Study areas included: JTIDS / NATO Link 16; RN Future Command Systems; Army Future Combat Helicopters; gravity as an alternative energy source; agricultural helicopter RPV control; UKAIR C2; UKAIR Defence Integration and Evolution; Automatic Airborne Threat Assessment for a future single-seat combat aircraft (European Fighter Aircraft); Intelligent and Expert Systems in C³I; NATO ACCS architecture design with MOD(AIR), MOD(PE), RSRE, SHAPETC, etc.

1975 — 79 Head of Integrated Science in a grammar school, teaching physics, integrated science, mathematics, electronics, biology and astronomy to advanced level, with music, gymnastics and athletics as additional subjects

1974 — 75 TORNADO ADV Avionics System Design Manager, integrating Foxhunter radar, mission computing and tactics, weapon assignment, communications and crew displays and controls

1961 to 1973 RAF Experience

Engineering wing commander, RAF, specialising in ATE, fleet operations and maintenance, avionics, operations analysis, weapons, communications and command and control.

Line Management	Senior line management of c.500 engineers and technicians operating and maintaining a fleets of intensively-flown Jet Provost and Hunter aircraft. Management of: 100-vehicle strong vehicle fleets; jet engine deep-strip repair lines; ground radar and communications; photography; weapons; simulators. F111K and Nimrod MR Automatic Test Equipments (ATEs)
Corporate Management	Ministry of Defence consultant on ATE, airborne integrated data systems, and math modelling of maintenance systems and their finances. Acted for TORNADO Multi-Rôle Combat Aircraft (MRCA), Jaguar, Harrier and Nimrod MR. MOD negotiator in Munich for MRCA On-Board Checkout and Monitoring System. Conceived, financed and contracted for PTR377 airborne communications transceiver ATE
Operational Research, Organization & Method	Developed math. Models to determine cost beneficial solutions to servicing policy dilemmas, including those for: Jaguar, MRCA. Designed and employed queuing model of Jet Provost intensive flying operations, to optimize flying training in line with weather factor. Conceived and introduced new method of organizing flow of servicing documentation for Hunter aircraft, providing implicit LRU history
Research and Development	Project Officer and team leader at Marconi, Rochester, developing ATE for NIMROD and F111K. Project specialist at Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, developing Project LINESMAN, ground-to-ground and ground-to-air NATO Link4A for Lightning aircraft. Specialist in VLF navigation systems including OMEGA and LORAN C. Specialist in the assessment of complete aircraft weapon systems for reliability and maintainability. Conceived, designed, developed and constructed a high-temperature oven control system for semiconductor doping, and an advanced Vmg yachting computer for use in the Americas Cup Races (later barred for providing "unfair advantage") (Southampton University)
Systems Engineering	Weapon Systems Engineer for all aspects of the Lightning aircraft of No. 111 Squadron, including: airframes, engines, controls, weapons, instruments, electrical, radar & communications, safety equipment, etc.

Selected Publications, Presentations and Papers

Title	Date	Published/Delivered
Design Feasibility Study for The Autonomous Peace Officer	2007	Autonomous Systems Conference, IET, Savoy Place. London
21st Century Systems Engineering	2006	INCOSE UK
Systems Methodology	2005	Conference on Systems Engineering Research, Stevens University, NJ
The 5-Layer Systems Engineering Model	2005	SETE, Australia
Systems Engineering in Practice	2004	King's College, London
Systems Engineering and Defence Procurement	1999	IEE Engineering Management Journal 9.6
Systems Engineering in the 21st Century	1999	INCOSE 1999 Conference, Brighton,
Demystifying Systems Engineering	1999	Inaugural Meeting of INCOSE Regional Branch, Bristol
The Far Side of the Moon (Formal concept development)	1999	IEE Regional Meeting, Edinburgh
UK Defence Procurement—Optimizing the Total System	1999	Systems Engineering for Defence Conference, Shrivenham
Understanding the Pyramids/Systems Engineering the Pyramids	1998	Variously at Dundee, the Hague, Perth IEE, BAe Systems and Services (Warton)
Effective Decisions in Emerging Conflicts	1998	International Command & Control Research & Technology Symposium, Stockholm: "Command & Control Decision-Making in Emerging Conflicts
Growth and Collapse of Societal Power	1998	DERA Symposium: Analytical Approaches to Studying Power & Influence in Contemporary Political/Military Affairs
Architectonics — the Study of Defence and CIS Architectures	1998	Australian Journal of Battlefield Technology
Systems Engineering — In Search of the Elusive Optimum	1998	IEE Engineering Management Journal 8.4
Systems Engineering — In Search of the Elusive Optimum	1998	4th Annual Symposium Proceedings — International Council on Systems Engineering, UK Chapter
Systems Engineering Vs. Project Management	1997	IEE colloquium — Professionalism in Project Management
Back to the Future of Systems Engineering	1997	Annual Symposium Proceedings, International Council on Systems Engineering, Holland
Carry on Thinking	1977	Editorial — IEE Engineering Management Journal 7.3
Architectonics	1996	MOD Advisory Council Brief
Architectonics — The Study of (Defence & CIS) Architectures	1996	Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Command and Control Research & Technology
Getting to Grips with Technology	1996	Proceedings of the Second Annual Conference of the UK Chapter of INCOSE
Police Operational Information Policy	1996	Police Service Policy for Procurement & C2 Architecture — Report
Synthetic Environments and Virtual Reality	1996	MOD Advisory Council Brief
Systems Engineering the Pyramids	1996	IEE Master Class
Belief Structures and Emergent Societal Conflict	1995	ILIC’95, The First International Conference on Low Intensity Conflict
Secure Systems — Defence in Depth	1995	Proceedings of the European Convention on Security and Detection, 16-18 May
Systems Engineering and the Business	1995	Presentation to the UK Civil Aviation Authority
Systems Engineering the Pyramids	1995	Presentation to Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of INCOSE, Houston
World Class Systems Engineering in the UK	1995	EuroForum Conference Proceedings — Managing Systems Engineering for Competitive Advantage
CIS Design — Limits, Laws & Models	1994	Proceedings of The First Workshop in Command Information Systems, 3-5 May
Command & Control Systems — Challenging the Paradigms	1994	Science of Command & Control, AFCEA Publication
Getting Systems Engineering Straight	1994	IEE Symposium
Measuring Systems	1994	Lucas Advanced Systems Engineering Symposium
Systems Engineering the Pyramids	1994	IEE Master Class, London
World Class Systems Engineering	1994	IEE Engineering Management Journal
A Theoretical Base for Systems Engineering	1993	Accepted by NCOSE for their International annual conference — not delivered due to indisposition
A Unified Systems Hypothesis	1993	Systems Practice, Vol. 6, No. 6
C2 Modelling & Simulation in the UK	1993	Conference proceedings, Military Applications of Synthetic Environments and Virtual Reality (MASVR’93)
Embedding Process Risk Management in Models	1993	Accepted by NCOSE for their International annual conference — not delivered due to indisposition
Global approaches to Systems Engineering	1993	IEE Master Class, London
Getting to Grips with Complexity	1993	Presented to the Institute of Physics, London
Systems Engineering Models	1993	Accepted by NCOSE for their International annual conference — not delivered due to indisposition
The Generic Reference Model	1993	Accepted by NCOSE for their International annual conference — not delivered due to indisposition
Book — Putting Systems to Work	1992	John Wiley, Chichester, UK
Embedding Risk Management in Process Models	1992	IEE M&D Digest 1992/018, Process Planning & Modelling, January
IEE Draft Guide to the Practice of Systems Engineering	1992	IEE M&D Digest 92/068, March
Systems Engineering Master Class	1992	IEE M&D Digest 92/068, March
Command & Control Systems Architecture	1990	Proceedings of Royal Aeronautical Society Conference on Hour-by-Hour Management
A General Theory of Command & Control	1989	IEE C3MIS International Conference
Avionics Systems Architectures	1989	Proceedings of the Royal Aeronautical Society Conference on Digital Computer Technology for Airborne Applications, 15 March. (co-author Dave O’Dwyer, EASAMS, Ltd.)
BM/C3 Design by Cumulative Selection	1989	Proceedings of the IEE C3MIS International Conference, 2-4 May
Building Future Systems	1989	Proceedings of the MILCOMP Conference, 26-28 September
Creative Design by Cumulative Selection	1989	IEE M&D Digest
Systems Survivability Science	1989	EASAMS Company Publication M7/101/DH/1, March
©SYSMORPH	1989	IEE M5 M&D Digest
Getting Systems Engineering, Analysis and Management Support (SEAMS) Environment Straight	1988	IEE M&D Digest 1988/93, 17th May
Software Radiation, Systems Focus	1988	IEE Management & Design (M&D) Digest
Systems Creativity	1988	IEE Proceedings, 135. Pt. A, No. 6
Systems Engineering Models	1988	GEC Report — Systems Simulations, Methods and Tools
MOSAIC (Book Version)	1987	Published in "Advances in Command, Control and Communications Systems", Peter Perigrinus, ISBN 0863410944
Managing System Creation	1986	IEE Proceedings, 133, Pt A, No. 6.
MIDS JTIDS	1986	Electronics in Defence
ibid.	1985	IEE ACCSTA Conference, 16-18 April
The Human Element in C3I	1985	Proceedings of IEE ACCSTA Conference, 16-18 April
MOSAIC Concepts for the Deployment of Air Power in Europe	1984	AFCEA International Symposium, Brussels
New approaches to C3I	1984	Electronics For Defence
The Changing Air C3I Scene	1984	Aviation electronics
TRANIS — IFF System Design	1984	MOD Report
JTIDS for the Sea Harrier	1983	MOD Report
Syrian Information System Design	1983	Syrian MOD Report
Systems in Command	1983	Electronics in Defence
United Arab Emirates — Joint Operations Centre Design	1983	UAE/MOD Report
ASR1300 Maintenance and Spares	1981	MOD Report
Heuristic Intelligent Threat Assessment System (HITAS)	1981	Published in "Automatic Threat Assessment", EASAMS Ltd.
NATO Air Command & Control System	1981	Marconi ‘81 Exhibition Symposium
Light Combat Helicopter Sensor System Design	1980	MOD Report
Light Combat Helicopter Survivability	1980	MOD Report
Automatic Threat Assessment Design (AI)	1979	Company Publication
Study Proposal for Future Weapon Systems	1979	Company Publication
LANCE — Line Algorithm for Navigation in Combat Environments.	1975	MOD Design Report — TORNADO Interception Control Design
Electro-Magnetic Compatibility Testing	1974	Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment Tech. Memo.
Testing Intercommunication and Cockpit Control Systems	1974	Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment Tech. Memo.
Intensive Flying — Management Analysis	1973	RAF Training Command Report
Are Your Model Statistics on display?	1972	HQSTC Engineering
Saving Money the Automatic Way	1972	HQSTC Review
Automatic Test Equipment — Gilt-edge or Gamble	1970	IEE Symposium
Automation & Avionics	1970	MOD Report
NIMROD ATE Utilization	1967	RAF Training Command Report
Mathematical Approach to Spares Scaling	1965	MOD Report

Derek Hitchins

Last updated: Feb 2005

http://www.hitchins.net

Institution of Electrical Engineers

Royal Aeronautical Society

Chartered Management Institute

International Council on Systems Engineering