The Use, Misuse, and Abuse of Design Controls Human-Centered Systems Engineering

Design controls, a relatively new name for a nearly century-old systems engineering paradigm, describe an engineering management process that serves both producers and consumers. In my engineering practice, I have observed the use, misuse, and abuse of design controls. Misuse and abuse are not economically advantageous to the producer and create risks for the consumer. Understanding what are design controls, how and when they are used, and why they add value may encourage proper use and mitigate risks for both producers and consumers. © 2006 IEEE.