Digital Engineering Transformation as a Sociotechnical Challenge: Categorization of Barriers and Their Mapping to DoD's Policy Goals

Abstract: Digital Engineering (DE) transformation represents a paradigm shift in systems engineering (SE), aiming to integrate diverse analytical models and digital artifacts into an authoritative source of truth for improved traceability and more efficient system lifecycle management. Despite institutional support, many DE initiatives underperform or fail to realize their intended benefits. We argue that this often results from a limited understanding of the social and technical barriers, and particularly how their interplay shapes transformation outcomes. To address this gap, we document barriers identified in the literature and grounded in sociotechnical systems theory, organized into six dimensions: people, processes, culture, goals, infrastructure, and technology. We then map these barriers to the U.S. Department of Defense's DE policy goals. Our analysis shows that technological investments alone are insufficient, as failures frequently arise from social factors such as workforce readiness, leadership support, and cultural alignment. The mapping also demonstrates that sociotechnical barriers often cascade across dimensions, making their impact on policy goals difficult to trace and complicating implementation. These insights carry practical implications: managers may use the mapping as a diagnostic tool to identify risks and prioritize resources; policymakers may complement strategic mandates with sustained investments and long-term change management; and engineers may view DE not as a threat to job security but as an opportunity for more effective collaboration.