There is no software without systems engineering. Software is always part of a bigger system. Even a simple application interacting with a human user consists of software building blocks, a service delivery, various hardware systems, user experience, energy management, connectivity and many more. Systems engineering or "systems thinking," as it is often called, ensures that products deliver more value than the capabilities of their individual parts. Such value beyond the individual components is what we call a system, or even a system of systems. A system is a set of interacting elements that together achieve a purpose.