John Fitch brings with him over four decades of engineering, engineering management, consulting and training experience. John was certified by INCOSE as an Expert Systems Engineering Professional (ESEP) in 2012.
John’s path into the field of Systems Engineering and the role of a consultant began when he was introduced to the Kepner-Tregoe systematic thinking processes (Situation Appraisal, Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Potential Problem Analysis) early in his career. A few years later he brought these techniques into a U.S. defense contractor and taught hundreds of engineers and managers to use these skills in product design, manufacturing engineering and business strategy. Teaching led to numerous internal consulting engagements with engineering teams in tackling challenging design problems and business initiatives.
John used these “clear thinking” skills as the foundation for the development of a set of systems engineering process standards and guides and systems engineering training courses. As the Systems Engineering Process Owner, he led the deployment of processes, tools and training and jump-started new system development projects in a diverse set of military electronic domains including communications, electronic warfare, anti-submarine warfare and command & control systems.
John has over 20 years of independent consulting experience in systems engineering with a focus on decision management, requirements management, risk management, systems design & architecture, product/technology road-mapping and innovation. His clients have included Motorola, Northrop Grumman, ITT Industries, United Technologies, DERA/Qinetiq (UK) and the U.S. Army. In addition to defense/aerospace, John has guided initiatives in domains such as communications systems, software, energy, nanotechnology, medical devices, manufacturing systems, knowledge management and business process improvement.
John has been an innovator in systems engineering methods and tools. He was an early and aggressive user of DOORS® for requirements management and conducted requirements management training and jump-starts with dozens of companies. He pioneered the use of decision patterns as a framework for proactive trade study planning and decision management. Through 100+ client engagements and training course deliveries, John has refined a set of decision patterns for enterprise strategy, system/product design, process/capability design, service design, courseware design and life.
To support his Decision Driven® Design methodology, John has led the development of multiple systems engineering tool suites on a variety of software platforms. These tools have included innovations such as a new decision-to-requirements traceability paradigm and a novel integration between decisions and roadmaps.
John has written and presented papers on systems engineering best practices and innovations at INCOSE, IEEE and NDIA conferences. He is a member of INCOSE’s Crossroads of America chapter.
John is a lifelong learner with a passion to simplify the complex and mentor others. Across his career, he has taught several thousand technical professionals to think more creatively, clearly, efficiently and holistically. He brings that passion to PPI along with a late-career focus on making a difference by helping clients accelerate the delivery of new products and solutions.
In his spare time, John enjoys the natural beauty of his woodland homestead, maintaining trails through the property and encouraging the growth, maturity and sporting exploits of his ten grandchildren.
Courses Presented
- Systems Engineering (5-Day)
- Architectural Design (5-Day)
- Requirements Analysis & Specification Writing (5-Day)
