Systems engineering has been the bedrock for managing new, complex systems in the manufacturing industries since the 1990s. It has been used for the complete life of assets, from the early exploration of new products and services right through to their delivery, operations, and ultimate disposal. Systems engineering enables the bridging of gaps between traditional engineering disciplines such as business analysis and software development, and so has a natural fit into CALM. For example, training to work in teams to create products and services that deal with applications of complex technologies is a hallmark of systems engineering. Complex projects require tight risk management, which involves taking calculated risks and managing them successfully.

With automation and software increasingly incorporated throughout any business, companies are searching for an integrated way of dealing with the complexity of the transfer of information to knowledge. Systems engineering (SE) is fast becoming a necessity in this regard. SE disciplines are required for successful implementation of CALM, to fully transform the company and its business. It is nearly impossible to accomplish this transformation without using the best practices of systems engineering.

A goal of CALM is to provide a methodology and a software toolset that seeks to integrate all designing, building, and operating processes of the company into a single openly-shared, enterprise-wide ISM, using best practices like SE. CALM addresses planning, construction, installation, and maintenance-all together and inside the same ISM. However, uncertainties unique to the energy industry’s economic evaluation, appraisal, fabrication, installation, and design methodologies have to be integrated into SE if we are to succeed in transferring lean efficiencies to bottom-line profitability. Such a paradigm shift should immediately have a positive effect on performance.