ABSTRACT
Systems engineering plays a major and vital role in the development of computer systems. Product planning is a corporate function that many consider to be outside of the scope of engineering and development. Even in so-called marketing-driven companies, engineering often plays a significant role in long-term strategies and product planning. The long-term strategy document should provide good direction for product planning. Some of the most successful products do not fall directly out of such strategy, however, but rather are the result of an opportunity recognition, or an inspirational new product idea. The architecture is best defined by highly qualified systems engineer, backed by a strong team of hardware and software people that can contribute and critique the design. The preparation of an opportunity proposal may intimidate some people, but putting an idea in writing, to the level required by such a document, will force to think the issues all the way through, and will get the attention of the decision-makers.
