Bethesda, Md., March 22, 2016—The first congress on Analysis, Simulation, and Systems Engineering Software Strategies (ASSESS 2016) was held in Potomac, Maryland on January 20-22, 2016. This congress brought together 85 key thought leaders related to simulation and systems engineering from multiple applications and industries. The congress helped set the path forward for strategies related to Software Technologies for Analysis, Systems Engineering and Simulation (STASES). In spite of the blizzard of 2016, which descended upon the Washington, DC area during the event, ASSESS was very well attended.

The ASSESS Initiative was formed by Cyon Research and intrinSIM to bring together key players to guide and influence strategies for software tools for model-based analysis, simulation, and systems engineering.  ASSESS is a broad reaching, multi-industry initiative to expand the use and benefit of software tools for model-based analysis, simulation and systems engineering.

The primary goal of the ASSESS Initiative is to prepare the industry for the coming challenges it faces—leading to significantly increased usage and benefit from these software technologies across the full spectrum of industries, applications and users. Several users of simulation technologies gave keynote presentations including Rodney Dreisbach formerly of The Boeing Company where he served as a Senior Technical Fellow.  Rodney challenged the ASSESS audience with “The first generation of CAx is nearing an end! and A New First Generation of CAx is beginning” and an impassioned call for a “Unified Vision” for converting STASES to Analysis, Simulation and Systems Engineering Tools made Smarter (ASSETS).  Other keynotes were given by Jesse Citizen, Director, Defense Modeling and Simulation Coordination Office (DMSCO), Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Engineering;  Roger Burkhart, Technology Architect at Deere & Company; Zack Eckblad, server/product division at  Intel.

Working Congress
ASSESS was a working congress, set-up to educate, guide and influence software strategies for multidisciplinary simulation and design exploration.  The working groups explored the following themes:

Each three-hour working group discussed vision, goals, issues, priorities and recommended next steps.

The results of the working groups will be presented at COFES 2016 in April.

“The ever-increasing demand for improved performance of new products has driven their designs to higher levels of system and sub-system complexities.  In turn, for industries to remain competitive in engineering new products, their cross-functional system and subsystem modeling and simulation expectations have been increasing at a phenomenal rate,” says Rod Dreisbach, Senior Technical Fellow, Computational Structures Technology, (Retired), Roddreisbach@comcast.net).  “I am proud to be an active participant in the ASSESS Initiative.  The ASSESS 2016 Congress brought together many of the key players in Analysis, Simulation and Systems Engineering as a great first step for the industry to collaborate on a unified vision to meet the future needs for simulation.”

Next steps

Three ASSESS sessions will be held during COFES (Congress for the Future of Engineering Software) 2016 in Scottsdale, Arizona on April 7-10:  an ACCESS Initiative Advisory Committee meeting, Special Session for reporting the findings from ASSESS 2016 and an ASSESS roundtable discussion.
The next meetings of the ASSESS Initiative will take place at COFES 2016 in April and NAFEMS Americas Conference in June.

About The ASSESS Initiative

The ASSESS Initiative is an industry effort focused on strategies for software tools for model-based analysis, simulation, and systems engineering. The goal of the ASSESS Initiative is to prepare the analysis, simulation, and systems engineering industry for the coming challenges it is facing. If the industry continues on its current path, it will experience crippling shortages of PhD Analysts required to use currently available tools. While there are promising technologies that may mitigate the projected shortage, much still needs to be done in order to enable the potential “revolution” of increased usage and benefit from these software technologies across the full spectrum of industries, applications and users (in both the government and commercial sectors). The ASSESS Initiative acts by guiding and influencing strategies for the software vendor, manufacturer, academic, and government communities.

About Cyon Research
Cyon Research is an industry analyst think-tank operating in the field of software for design and engineering. Cyon Research’s key business is market research for. The company publishes an annual survey based on its original research. The firm applies sophisticated analytics to help their customers understand what the engineering software customer is thinking. Cyon Research’s focus is on the tools, processes, and procedures used in design and manufacturing, construction, and management. The firm offers to its clients a unique combination of experience, perspective, and insight, buttressed by an extensive network of well-established industry relationships. Their goal is always clarity: of the situation, of the pitfalls and opportunities, and of the road to success. Cyon Research’s main events are COFES: The Congress on the Future of Engineering Software, and ASSESS: Analysis, Simulation, and System Engineering Strategies. For more information about Cyon Research:http://cyonresearch.com.

About intrinSIM
intrinSIM is a premier source of go to market services, business management services, technology related services, investment related services, licensing of leading edge embeddable technologies suitable for developing commercial or in-house engineering software applications, and distribution opportunities for engineering software applications. intrinSIM was founded in late 2009 with the intention to accelerate the growth of the engineering software market by Connecting Worldwide Business & Technology.  intrinSIM has offices in and Clarkesville, GA, and Madison, AL and collaborative strategic relationships with multiple resources. For more information, visit the intrinSIM web site at www.intrinsim.com.