Why is "system integration" supposedly difficult ?

Question

If system integration is difficult then you'd expect that integration a system of surface-to-air missiles and a sensor system, would be difficult ? But why would this be difficult ? It wouldn't be.

The sensor system merely needs to be able to detect real targets located at the synthetic targets used in the missile system test.

Answer 1

Try combining jigsaw puzzles with a chess game. Or the English language with a kalidoscope. Or quantum theory with the economic forecasting of McDonalds.
Systems are far more then just computer based frameworks. They are prevalant throughout all our perceptions. Some are easy to combine in a meaningful and purposeful way, others are, like the above, a tad more difficult.

Answer 2

"System Integration" typically involves installing something that is new to the people who are installing it. They need to take a crash course in learning the new stuff well enough to be able to do a competent job of implementation, while the owner managers are probably breathing down the team's neck looking for completion estimates.

Even when we have experts in the system to be integrated ... well with what ... a professional in system-X comes to enterprise-Y to integrate it with whatever is there ... it could be EDI installed on ERP where your have people at the company who know the ERP on whatever operating system is there, and the EDI company knows their stuff, but then there is a need to exchange enough info between the two groups of people to get the job done effectively.

In military applications, what programming language do you suppose they use? This is mission critical to get the maximum speed of processing. Is machine language the fastest? Do they write in binary, or do they have some pre-compiler source code that translates into symbolic, and is fast enough to get the job done?

I would hope they are using some language that is not commonplace in the public venue ... not C++, not anything recognizable in the commercial world.

Military applications are getting more and more complex all the time. They need to jam enemy radar or communications, they need to be able to hear their own boss directions, but not be vulnerable to an enemy hacker, they need to be able to access GPS, but if that is knocked out, use some kind of ground map.

This forum is an inappropriate place to go into full details because of risk of saying something that might be helpful to enemies of the nation, such as alqaeda sleeper cells in this country. Do you want to be partly responsible for a terrorist attack like 9-11 or WMD go off in a major metropolis, because we were talking in an open forum of challenges associated with national defense?

Answer 3

Additional to A/M answer. Necessity dictates logic proper, but notions for necessity can be created. In competitive markets and service contracts, the mechanics are often made unfitting/incompatible with competitor product to protect contract integrity, i,e, they attempt to make the clientele their propriety system property. Why would a corporation retro-design for older systems when they can make more money selling a 'completely new' or 'innovated' system, junking or trashing the old. The old systems hold true until competitors make compatible parts, then they innovate a new unfitting or ill fitting (assisting) system.

Answer 4

Because system integration is part of the "buzz" word culture and no one knows what it means.

Answer 5

no more please cant you ask nice questions these one are really hurting my brain you are giving me nightmares