Model-based Systems Engineering (MBSE)

Why Systems Engineering

A new dynamic in the market due to changing customer behavior (keyword: “shorter innovation cycles”) on the one hand and increasing product complexity (keyword “networking”) on the other hand requires the use of holistic engineering methods such as “Systems Engineering” (SE). Of particular importance here is the topic of “mastering complexity” with a special focus on the two early development phases “Requirements Engineering” and “System Architecture“.

What is Model Bases Systems Engineering?

The aim of systems engineering is to cover the customer’s requirements for the system to be delivered while at the same time meeting the cost and time frame.

In order to achieve this, the two fundamental paradigms “Divide & Conquer” and “Separation of Concerns” are used in particular. Or, in other words, the use of models. Dealing with the questions “which models?” Or “which language?” And “how to keep in sync?” Are the subject of the ever-growing discipline “Model Based Systems Engineering” (MBSE).

Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is thus a method to develop and realize complex technical systems in large projects. Model Based Systems Engineering is necessary, since in large complex projects aspects such as communication and coordination can only be solved through the use of comprehensible models.

OMG SysML as Modeling Language in Model-based Systems Engineering (MBSE)

The OMG Systems Modeling Language (SysML) is a standardized modeling language. SysML was developed by the Object Management Group (OMG) and the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) based on the UML 2 graphical modeling language. There are a lot of defined diagrams available for the modeling. A distinction is made between structural and behavioral diagrams. The requirements diagram fulfills a special role, because here the aspects from the requirements engineering in SysML are included. These charts allow interdisciplinary teams to communicate across their specific domains and share information.

Further information and research results

In order to be able to give first-hand advice to our customers in this area, we are particularly proud of our research cooperation with the „Center for Safe Energy Informatics“ at the University for Applied Sciences Salzburg. A separate research group for “Domain Specific Systems Engineering” (DSSE) deals with the question of how MBSE concepts can gain a foothold in the different domains. Here we work together on concepts for three domains:

Freely available modeling tools

We are particularly pleased that various results of this research activity, such as the freely available modeling tools „SGAM Toolbox“ and „RAMI 4.0 Toolbox“ have already arrived in practice.