While Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) has been around for a few years now, that doesn’t mean it’s not evolving like so many other systems engineering disciplines. One of the biggest trends for MBSE is the growing realization that MBSE is not a function of any one software tool, not PLM, not SysML, not requirements.
The goal is the Digital Thread, the complete set of domain models organized, connected and version-managed in a way that allows everyone on the development team to find the data they need to do their jobs. Each discipline and each organization have a seat at the MBSE table.
Implementation of the digital thread is still incremental in every enterprise. Early adopters look for specific integrations that enhance collaboration between team members, speeding completion of tasks and reducing errors from domain model inconsistencies. As they implement the Digital Thread more fully, they realize even greater gains in model validation and verification, which allows deeper exploration of the system design space within project schedules.
Another trend on the MBSE horizon is how the engineering software tools and the digital thread infrastructure that connects them are all becoming scalable enterprise applications, sharing services and data either in the cloud or in on-premises servers. Standard interfaces such as RESTful or OSLC APIs are expected to help support this, but the great heterogeneity of data, models and use cases will handicap approaches that restrict themselves to these technologies.
Also, in the future it’s unlikely a single MBSE methodology will be universally adopted, so flexibility in searching, visualizing, and documenting the digital thread will become important. Tools with a “one size fits all” interface will be at a disadvantage relative to open source, open standard and third-party components that can give users the reports and metrics they need with minimal effort and cost.
Modeling has always been an important part of systems engineering to support functional, performance, and other types of engineering analysis. Wayne Wymore introduced a mathematical foundation for MBSE in his book entitled “Model-Based Systems Engineering” in 1993.
However, the growth in computing technology and the introduction of modeling standards such as SysML, UPDM, Modelica, HLA and others, are helping to enable MBSE as a standard practice, and provide a foundation to integrate diverse models needed to fully specify and analyze systems.
Want to learn more? Tonex offers MBSE Training Crash Course, a 4-day program that covers all the principals, theories and techniques associated with Model-based Systems Engineering (MBSE). Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to comprehend the general principles of systems engineering, discuss the main characteristics of a system and understand the overall process factors and their relationships, which together establish the bases of systems engineering.
Additionally, Tonex offers more than a dozen other courses in MBSE training, including:
— Model Based Testing Training (3 days)
—Model Based Requirements Engineering (4 days)
—SysML Training Crash Course (4 days)
—Requirements Engineering Workshop with Use Cases (3 days)
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.