ABSTRACT
The preceding chapter (Chapter 2) discussed the forces-operational, technical, and institutional-moving us toward the implementation of large-scale, richly interconnected systems. These systems have been referred to as “systems of systems,” “families of systems,” “enterprises,” and other such terms connoting that they are composed of elements that are purposeful systems in their own right. Because these terms mean different things to different communities, the term “mega-systems” has been chosen as an umbrella term to refer to this class of systems.
