3.3.1 Systems Engineering With Solution Spaces

When creating UML models of systems, a common strategy is to model all the elements as classes. This technique is inadequate, because eventually the element has to represent something in a given solution space. Instead, the system should be modeled using a library of Systems Engineering concepts that can be applied to the problem. In this paper, we propose using Systems Engineering profiles, patterns, concepts and standards, corresponding to solution spaces to model the system and support both the product and the process. These can be used throughout the system lifecycle, from modelling the concepts and physical environment in the requirements stage, to creating physical systems from the model during the implementation stage. This library, or ontology, could be built up over time to create a Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBOK), allowing reuse of requirements, concepts, and problem-solving techniques. © 2003 The Authors.