MBSE Adoption Guide

Overview and the 6 W's

The current active thinking of the MBSE Adoption Guide structure is that it is based on 6 key questions, and from the perspectives of at least two stakeholders with respect to MBSE:

• An individual systems engineer;
• An engineering manager (with responsibility for a project, or organisational unit / department / function).

Current generic questions are proposed to be (JJ - have deliberately re-ordered to bring Why to top):

1. Why should I adopt MBSE?
2. What does MBSE mean for my role?
3. Where (activity area, disciplines level of decomp) do I employ MBSE?
4. When (temporal e.g. life cycle phase, criteria) should MBSE be employed?
5. Who else needs to participate in, or will be impacted by the use of, MBSE activities?
6. How do I make use of MBSE on my project?

A graphic illustrating this outline is available on the MBSE.org site here: 6-questions poster draft

So what we see below are two subsections, for each of these two primary roles, and with an elaborated response for each of the 6 questions, for each role.

Details of 6 W's and responses

An engineering manager

Why should I adopt MBSE?

You should adopt an MBSE approach for systems engineering because

• There is an steady trend in the systems engineering community to move from conventional or document-based systems engineering (DBSE) to model-based systems engineering.
• Use of models increases early rigour, identifies gaps and inconsistencies, and helps to eliminate errors.
• Increases the potential for design re-use.
• Helps to facilitate checking across domains and disciplines.
• Increases the degree to which requirements, design and V&V information can be checked by software, complementing the capabilities and skills of engineers.
• Although there is mixed evidence of sound Return on Investment (ROI) in MBSE approaches over 'short' time frames, there is compelling evidence that MBSE approaches do systematically offer improved rigour and thoroughness to SE compared with the outcome of the same activities performed with DBSE; some authors would argue that asking 'what is the ROI for MBSE adoption?' is asking the wrong question; a better question would be 'what improvements in quality and error reduction do I realise with adoption of MBSE compared to DBSE?.

Rationale

The trend to adopt MBSE has emerged for several reasons: a few spectacular failures of DBSE often due to relatively simple reasons that might otherwise have been avoided by the adoption of more rigour from models (for instance, the Mars Lander failure, due to mis-match of engineering units between different engineering teams; the wish to increase rigour to early-phase systems engineering activities (requirements elicitation and management...).

What does MBSE mean for my role?

It will mean the following:

• Becoming aware of the principles, practical aspects, benefits and challenges of adopting MBSE as a way of doing systems engineering for your part of the engineering organisation;
• Identifying, considering and potentially challenging information about cost, quality and timescale for systems engineering processes followed in a MBSE approach;
• Identifying, and sharing learning experience, with other non-SE stakeholders in your organisation, both positive and less-positive;
• Considering suport and resources to run small MBSE trials, or engage with other parties (such as academia) who might be running such trials;
• Once convinced of the need to migrate to MBSE, establishing an migration strategy;
• Your strategy will need to address many aspects and implications including: training, tooling, infrastructure, processes, internal and external stakeholders affected;
• Establish a migration plan to pursue the MBSE adoption, consistent with your adoption strategy;
• Obtaining resources and funding to support the execution of the plan;
• Monitor and course-correct as necessary.

Rationale

As an engineering manager the focus is on the appropriate engineering contribution to effective development to cost, quality and timescale. This then brings in all the perspectives of persons, process, tools, infrastructure, interoperability, configuration control, technical risk, lean vs agility, and appropriateness of approach for the given level of integrity (safety level etc).

Conventional document-based systems engineering (DBSE) is a known quantity (to some extent). Adopting a MBSE approach requires a different skill set and experience, different tools, different infrastructure and a profile of progress for the development that is likely to be significantly different to that for DBSE.

Where (activity area, disciplines, level of decomp) do I employ MBSE?

(elaborated response)

When (temporal e.g. life cycle phase, criteria), should MBSE be employed?

(elaborated response)

Who else need to participate in MBSE activities?

(elaborated response)

How do I make use of MBSE on my project / area of responsibility?

(elaborated response)

Case Studies

This section lists details of any case studies of applicaiton of MBSE, with appropriate hard information, where that can be made available.

(to be populated).

FAQ

This section will evolve to contain frequently asked questions about MBSE and its adoption, with responses, supported by references where possible.

(to be populated).