The term "technical debt" (TD) is no longer limited to software engineering but can be applied to the full product development life cycle. TD is particularly relevant to systems engineers because it impacts product development as well as program execution, resulting in lower productivity and increased risk. Although TD has its benefits, leading indicators (LIs) have traditionally been used in systems engineering to help prevent surprises during system development by providing timely information about potential problems, improve cost estimating by providing more accurate information about the system under development, and provide information about which activities are most likely to impact the schedule. The use of LI supports the effective management of systems engineering by enabling predictions of expected project performance and potential future states. Moreover, LI aid leadership in delivering value to customers and end users while facilitating interventions and actions to avoid rework and wasted effort (Roedler G, Rhodes DH, Schimmoller H, Jones C, Systems engineering leading indicators guide. Developed and Published by Members of, 2010). This paper examines how different TD types can be linked to LI in systems engineering. It also provides a simple introduction of TD to systems engineers and technical program managers, presenting LI in systems engineering as an established methodology with relevant metrics.
