The Theme of KSEE 2013 is "Systems Integration, when the going really gets tough."
During systems integration, most projects are hit by unexpected surprises resulting in delays and deviations of the specification. When the components are build together for the first time, then the implicit assumptions, missed interfaces, disappointing performance, unknown interference, and dismal reliability become visible. All shortcomings of the definition and design process surface during systems integration. Unfortunately, limited knowledge and wisdom of the development team, in combination with time and resource constraints, will always result in some surprises in systems integration. The challenge for the specification and design team is to minimize them, the challenge for the integration team is to hit future problems as early as possible.