INCOSE MBSE Focus Group
Survey of Candidate Model-Based Engineering (MBSE) Methodologies Page 9 of 47
Rev. A May 25, 2007
INCOSE MBSE Focus Group
The purpose of each major SE process model standard can be summarized as follows [12]:
ISO/IEC 15288 – Establish a common framework for describing the lifecycle of
systems.
ANSI/EIA 632 – Provide an integrated set of fundamental processes to aid a
developer in the engineering or re-engineering of a system.
IEEE 1220 – Provide a standard for managing a system.
Indeed, the IEEE 1220 provides useful guidance on developing a Systems Engineering
Management Plan (SEMP), and a template is provided in Annex B of the standard. The
NASA NPR 7123.1A also provides useful guidance on preparation of a SEMP. The NPR
defines a SEMP as providing “the specifics of the technical effort and describes what
technical processes will be used, how the processes will be applied using appropriate
activities, how the project will be organized to accomplish the activities, and the cost and
schedule associated with accomplishing the activities.” Relative to the NASA acquisition
lifecycle, the SEMP is used to “establish the technical content of the engineering work early
in the Formulation Phase for each project and updated throughout the project life cycle.”
2.5 Models in Support of SE Processes
In a nutshell, model-based engineering (MBE) is about elevating models in the engineering
process to a central and governing role in the specification, design, integration, validation,
and operation of a system. For many organizations, this is a paradigm shift from traditional
document-based and acquisition lifecycle model approaches, many of which follow a “pure”
waterfall model of system definition, system design, and design qualification. One of the
biggest communication barriers that exists between the traditional engineering design
disciplines (including the discipline of systems engineering) and MBE is that in a model-
based process, activities that support the engineering process are to be accomplished
through development of increasing detailed models. Skipper suggests that this
communication chasm has existed for years and many managers and practitioners still do
not identify with the fact that various MBE process models and supporting methodologies
are intended to show emphasis rather than be purely waterfall, and that the entire system
model grows over time (see Figure 2-9).
2
Baker et al. [19] articulate some of the key foundational concepts of model driven system
design (MDSD) and contrast the model-driven approach with standard SE process models;
in this case, the SE process model specified by the IEEE 1220 standard.
3
The authors
suggest that basic sub-processes apply to each of the major development phases of a
project (i.e., system definition, preliminary design, detailed design, and design qualification)
and that MDSD the basic sub-processes are repeated as many times as necessary. An
illustration of the basic sub-processes for MDSD is shown in Figure 2-10.
The authors proceed to describe various distinctive features of MDSD for each of the four
major development phases of the project. The interested reader is encouraged to review
these features in the cited reference as they will not be repeated here.
2
Joseph Skipper, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (private communication), Apr. 6, 2007.
3
Some authors use the term “MDSD” (Model-Driven System Design) and other use MBSE (Model-
Based Systems Engineering). While subtleties exist between the two terms, the latter is primarily
used in this report and any reference to MDSD is intended to be synonymous with MBSE.