Digital Engineering Information Exchange

Digital Artifacts: A digital form of information content that a digital engineering ecosystem produces and consumes by generally following the systems engineering life cycle's process areas as defined in ISO 15288. Includes all information content shared between stakeholders to execute the total technical and managerial effort required to transform a set of stakeholder needs, expectations, and constraints into a solution and to support that solution throughout its life.

Digital artifacts provide “data for alternative views to visualize, communicate, and deliver data, information, and knowledge to stakeholders. They include model-based representations of “information that originates and terminates in many forms (e.g. audiovisual, textual, graphical, numerical) and mediums (e.g., electronic, printed, magnetic, optical).” Organization constraints, e.g., infrastructure, interorganizational communications, and distributed project workings, are taken into account. Relevant information item standards and conventions are used according to policy, agreements and legislation constraints”. Includes include data sheets (electronics), databases (software), documents (operator role), and exportable data files (mechanics) and more. (ISO 15288 NOTE in Information Management Process)

Digital Engineering Information Exchange (DEIX): The exchange of digital artifacts between system engineering entities (processes, models, and organizational elements).

Chair:

John Coleman / Frank Salvatore / Chris Schreiber

PURPOSE

Problem Statement: Despite advances in the digital era, there are significant inefficiencies in cost, schedule, and performance when suppliers and acquirers exchange information following a traditional document-based approach. These same inefficiencies exist within organizations when sharing information across organizational boundaries. This practice of document-based systems information exchange complicates shared understanding and increases technical and programmatic risks.

Opportunity: Leverage new digital technologies, forms of media and means of interaction to provide enriched system representations providing alternative views to visualize, communicate and deliver data, information, and knowledge to stakeholders. Define a set of digital artifacts that improve communication and a shared understanding of essential system information. Identify or provide standard/conventional ways to define, request, offer and exchange information between stakeholders across the full systems life cycle.

DEIX WG aspires to ensure Digital Artifact conventions are transferable between complex systemsbased industries such as aerospace and defense, oil & gas, transportation, automotive, medical and utility industries. Finally, the successful fulfillment of this purpose allows the free flow of digital artifacts between buyers and suppliers throughout a global supply chain. Within INCOSE, this DEIX WG supports the strategic objective to accelerate the Transformation of Systems Engineering to a model based discipline.

GOAL

The DEIX WG primary goal is to establish a finite set of digital artifacts that acquiring organizations and their global supply chains should use to request an exchange with each other as well as internally between teams/organizational elements. The following goals support this primary goal:

Goal 1 – Define a Finite Set of Digital Artifacts: Define a finite set of digital artifacts that take advantage of digital technology to satisfy stakeholders’ information needs as it relates to systems engineering lifecycle standards such as ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288, 15289, 15504-6, 12207, 26531 and 24748.

Goal 2 – Develop Constructs for assembling Digital Artifacts: A set of constructs and conventions that define how to select, compile, and analyze digital artifacts to produce digital engineering content for stakeholders.

Goal 3 – Identify, Leverage and Influence Standards to Improve Digital Artifact Exchange: To use the understanding of existing and missing DEIX related standards literature to evolve a consensus-based standards framework for a Digital Engineering Information Exchange Model (DEIXM). To identify existing standards and conventions that apply to Digital Artifacts Exchange, determine the needs for digital artifact related standards; and then, determine the gaps. Finally, in coordination with INCOSE Standards Initiative, liaise with foreign and domestic standards organizations to petition for changes or additions based on knowledge gained from DEIXM products.

Goal 4 – Adopt a Common Lexicon: Define concepts, achieve community acceptance, and monitor adoption of the lexicon by the global supply chain as a means to describe digital artifacts.

SCOPE

• The WG activities and products span the systems engineering lifecycle as it relates to Digital Engineering information inputs and outputs of ISO 15288 and 15289 digital artifacts.
• The WG will also addresses the exchange of digital artifacts between various technical disciplines involved in the systems engineering lifecycle.
• The WG covers the presentation of digital engineering information to classes of technical and non-technical stakeholders across the complex global supply chain.
• When appropriate, the WG will adopt previous and evolving knowledge from standards and other sources regarding the exchange of digital engineering information between multiple disciplines, and digital technologies throughout the systems’ lifecycle.
• Close collaborations will include the TIMLM WG, MBSE Initiative, AD SE Transformation, AD Technical Information. The WG will also collaborate with the NDIA Modeling and Simulation Division and Systems Engineering Division. When considering changes or additions to standards, the WG will engage the INCOSE Standards Initiative.
• The scope of DEIX includes “The what?” or the characterization of the content and relationships, involved in the exchange of digital artifacts. DEIX does not include “The how?” or the means and mechanisms for exchanging digital artifacts. The Tool Integration Model Lifecycle Management Working Group (TIMLM WG) defines the means and mechanisms for information exchange