Systems Engineering (SE) is the engineering discipline that focuses on integrating all the key elements of a system into one overall system and managing it throughout its lifecycle from cradle to grave. It’s focuses on the overall development process of a system that is based on established processes, documented needs and traceable communications or interaction among the customers, users, engineers, and other stakeholders. The overall goal of SE is to develop and design a system that meets a specific set of requirements (needs) in the guidelines established by the Program Manager (PM). A systems engineer in the DoD will develop, design, allocate, and manage user and system level requirements (see Requirements Development), lead the development of the system architecture, evaluate design tradeoffs, balance technical risk between systems, define and assess interfaces, provide oversight of verification and validation activities, as well as many other tasks throughout the course of a program. In short, SE is the technical discipline that glues all the pieces together to make the end product.