It is easy to fall into the trap of believing the tool is the work. But mastering the UI/UX is not the same as mastering the discipline. Setting up perfect work systems that are useless when you don't know how to do the work?
Your tool doesn't matter
Going through the motions is not getting the work done. No?
Tell me I'm wrong ...
Here is how to stop being a tool operator and start being an engineer.
The Perfect Tool Trap
This reminds me of a frustrating rabbithole I fell into last July. I was convinced my note-taking app was the problem. It was buggy, it didn’t sync perfectly, and I was sure it was slowing me down.
Maybe I'll tell you what it was? Let me know.
So, I spent an entire week stressed out, researching replacements. I tried one app, but it was “very fiddly”. I looked at others, worrying I’d “waste much time setting it up”. I just wanted a tool “that works for me! And I don’t have to work for the tool to tame it”.
At the end of the week, I had a detailed comparison of three different apps. I got Superlist, Amplenote, Obsidian and LegendApp.
And I hadn’t written a single useful note!
I had spent 100% of my energy on the tool, and 0% on the actual work. I was practicing “productive procrastination”, and it felt awful.
I still have a sour aftertaste ...
YES, I caught myself. And chose. And all that time is still lost ..
Tools vs. Thinking
I see this exact pattern in our industry every day. We get tangled in the complexities of our software and confuse that struggle with real Systems Engineering.
Let's take an example:
Many organisations and engineers fall for the “(erroneous) equation ‘MBSE = SysML’”. They believe that adopting the methodology simply means buying and using the software. This misconception “has generated fears and uncertainties” because the tools themselves are notoriously complex.
The problem is that “training is often limited to software tools and specific languages… but rarely offers step-by-step guidance on how to actually build a truly effective and useful model”.
This leads to the common complaint that “SysML is hard, and the UI of Cameo makes it no easier”. Engineers get frustrated because they don’t have the “time or willingness to learn the modelling language (they’re too busy doing value added work)”.
Or another example:
I need to get more training (some do certification) for our Requirements Management tool. A notorious example is IBM DOORS! Then I'll be great at Requirements Engineering ...
NO! Write some requirements instead. And get someone with experience to review and give you feedback!
Or ask us below.
This is the entire point we are missing.
Systems Engineering is not the tool. Systems Engineering is the THINKING!
It is an “interdisciplinary” approach and a “technique for applying knowledge… to solve a multifaceted engineering problem”. The model, the diagram, or the database is just the “tool” we use to capture and communicate that thinking.
You my have seen me moaning on LinkedIn this week about my struggle with MS Word? Still, I was doing SE. Even in a text processor ... even if not the most optimal choice, unless ...
So ...
If you are spending 80% of your time fighting the tool’s interface and 20% on the system’s logic, you are not engineering. You are just a highly-paid IT support specialist for your own computer.
The goal is not to create a “perfect” SysML diagram. The goal is to understand the system, manage its complexity, and communicate the design to others. A simple, clear model that achieves this is infinitely better than a complex, feature-perfect model that no one can read or maintain.
This is the kind of challenge we need to discuss more. It is not a technical problem; it is a strategic one.
My private discussion group, “Strategic Positioning for Systems Engineers,” is where we tackle these real-world frustrations. It is not another forum to complain about tool features. It is a place to discuss the mindset, strategy, and communication skills that actually move your projects and your career forward!
If you are tired of being a tool operator and want to focus on being a better engineer, join us.
Reply here to join the private discussion group.
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Alex Toth, CSEP MIfSE, IREB RE
Systems Magician
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