Model-Based Systems Engineering Fundamentals
What is model-based systems engineering, and why is it important? Explore how you can elevate this practice by pursuing a master's degree in applied systems engineering
The demands of systems engineering are constantly accelerating, with today's engineers forced to adapt to a rapidly evolving landscape of emerging technologies. Status quo solutions that seemed sufficient just a few years ago no longer provide the scalability or flexibility needed in an increasingly fast-paced engineering environment.
Fortunately, today's top approaches to systems engineering promise improved collaboration, providing the chance for engineers and developers to work together across various fields and disciplines. This is where model-based systems engineering comes into play. Representing the ultimate paradigm shift, this cutting-edge approach replaces static documentation with a dynamic alternative and offers an intuitive way to represent systems while promoting real-time updates and enhanced communication.
What Is Model-Based Systems Engineering?
Understanding model-based systems engineering (MBSE) begins with recognizing what systems involve and why they are so complex. These collections of interconnected elements or components work together to achieve specific objectives.
Systems engineering brings an interdisciplinary approach to the design and implementation of complex systems, ensuring that segments work together to achieve each system's stated purpose. Encompassing technical and non-technical elements, systems engineering brings a structured approach to system design and lifecycle management.
Traditionally, document-based systems engineering (DBSE) has dominated the field, calling for detailed documentation to align with industry standards. Under this once-popular approach, documents formed reliable blueprints for system development processes — offering valuable insights into key requirements, testing strategies, and more. Despite its historical success, DBSE holds significant weaknesses and may no longer be capable of keeping up with the increasing pace of change.
In contrast to document-based systems engineering, MBSE leverages digital models to represent, analyze, and design complex systems in a structured and visible manner. This replaces manual processes and text-based documentation. This end-to-end strategy encompasses conception and design but also extends through the verification, validation, and decommissioning of systems.
Benefits of MBSE
Moving into a data-driven era of systems engineering, MBSE plays an essential role in shaping complex systems, functioning much like a "system of systems" to pool resources. In turn, this creates a single, complex system that may be easier to navigate than previously dominant document-based solutions. It also mitigates siloed documentation and other DBSE-related concerns. Benefits include:
Communication
Diverse stakeholders may struggle to understand the nuances of traditional documentation, but MBSE addresses this by making the most of highly visual and uniquely interactive models. These models empower stakeholders to engage with complex systems intuitively by presenting information in a way that is far easier for professionals from a wide range of backgrounds to understand and fully leverage.
Efficiency
MBSE allows for parallel development, which replaces sequential processes with simultaneous development of various subsystems. Done effectively, this can promote faster prototyping and smoother system integrations, although it calls for exceptional synchronization and overall communication. Rapid iterations are possible, with numerous opportunities for automation further expediting engineering processes.
Scalability
Because it is capable of tackling complexity with impressive efficiency, MBSE helps navigate ever-expanding workloads while accommodating rapid growth. This is possible because MBSE allows for the reuse of models across multiple projects. Additionally, MBSE tools support distributed workflows, empowering engineers across geographic locations.
Flexibility
Traditional, document-based approaches to systems engineering have their perks but may not reach their full potential due to their in-built rigidity. MBSE's interactive models can be adjusted based on new information or other developments, with iterative strategies allowing for the incremental design, testing, and refinement of key systems.
Risk Reduction
By simulating system behavior, MBSE helps identify and address potential issues prior to implementation. Meanwhile, end-to-end visibility elevates lifecycle risk management, ensuring that otherwise hidden risks are anticipated and dealt with through every stage of the system lifecycle.
Industries That Utilize MBSE
Wherever complex, multidisciplinary systems are required, MBSE can be leveraged to represent individual components and their interactions. This streamlines otherwise time-consuming design and integration workflows. Several advantages can be realized across a variety of sectors, such as:
- Automotive – As control systems and electrical architecture become increasingly complicated, MBSE provides a reliable pathway to ensure that a wide range of automotive components work together harmoniously. This is particularly valuable given the rise of hybrid and electric vehicles, which call for sophisticated energy storage solutions and software integrations.
- Aerospace – Given the high stakes of aerospace engineering, there is a compelling need for dynamic solutions that can be used to model subsystems such as propulsion or control systems as well as influence system health management. Additionally, MBSE plays a pivotal part in simulating systems for autonomous aircraft, revealing how these might behave in various settings or situations. Virtual testing resolves prototyping delays while ensuring that aircraft systems abide by strict safety regulations.
- Telecommunications – The 5G era has ushered in once-unthinkable connectivity and speed. Yet today's advanced telecommunications present some distinct challenges: legacy integrations, heightened vulnerabilities, and dramatic increases in traffic, to name a few. MBSE can help address these concerns by simulating data flows, topologies, and other network challenges that may otherwise be difficult to conceptualize. This approach provides the dynamic tools needed to maintain maximum agility and resilience in the evolving telecommunications space.
- Healthcare systems – Although MSBE is often associated with designing and implementing tangible products, it plays a valuable role in optimizing operations across numerous fields — including the healthcare sector. This field offers excellent modeling and simulation opportunities, which can thereby influence electronic health record (EHR) systems, departmental workflows, and medical device integrations. MBSE can also help ensure that healthcare operations abide by regulatory standards while pinpointing and addressing issues like bottlenecks.
- Defense – Many of the benefits of implementing MBSE in the defense sector are similar to those in the aerospace field. This is useful for not only developing aircraft systems but also guiding larger-scale systems such as command and control (C2). The United States Department of Defense relies on MBSE to handle numerous systems across various military branches, all while promoting high performance standards and exceptional reliability. For example, the Naval Air Systems Command has successfully shifted toward an integrated MBSE acquisition environment with a cutting-edge pilot program.
Tools Used in Model-Based Systems Engineering
MBSE leverages a number of advanced tools and technologies to enhance communication, efficiency, and innovation in diverse industries and use cases. Modeling languages and simulation tools are especially essential.
Modeling Languages
Modeling languages rely on formalized rules or notations to describe complex systems along with their unique components and interactions. The most relevant modeling languages in MBSE include:
- SysML (Systems Modeling Language) – As one of the most popular modeling languages in MBSE, SysML captures the many intricacies of systems engineering. Moving beyond conventional Unified Modeling Language to meet the unique needs of MBSE, SysML provides standardized notations and diagrams, which helps systems engineers understand and represent various interactions or requirements that may emerge throughout an extended lifecycle.
- UML (Unified Modeling Language) – SysML represents an offshoot of UML that is tailored to meet specific needs within the systems engineering space. That being said, there is great value in studying the broader UML approach, which offers a comprehensive and versatile framework for modeling numerous aspects of systems design.
It takes extensive practice to fully grasp the nuances of SysML and even more insight to reveal how this modeling language can be leveraged to solve complex problems. Therein lies the value of immersive, graduate-level coursework through programs like a Professional Master’s in Applied Systems Engineering (PMASE), which present a hands-on approach to exploring modeling languages.
Chris Purdy, a research engineer at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) who earned a PMASE degree, notes the professional value of the courses he took as a student. “The jump-off point for our risk-management framework project was PMASE’s Systems Modeling with SysML course,” he explains. “I don’t think we would have been able to effectively use the tool — with any real meaning at least — without having had that class beforehand."
Modeling and Simulation Tools
Modeling and simulation tools help create and visualize system models throughout the development lifecycle. These mechanisms make it easier to analyze interactions between components while simultaneously ensuring that eventual decisions align with system requirements. Many of these tools are available via Software as a Service (SaaS), which offers a cloud-based approach to enhancing accessibility and facilitating real-time collaboration. Top options include:
- Cameo Systems Modeler – Offering an intuitive graphic user interface along with support for SysML, Cameo Systems Modeler promotes collaborative modeling and interoperability with numerous engineering solutions.
- IBM’s Rhapsody – Providing versatile and highly scalable solutions for systems engineers, embedded developers, and many other professionals, IBM Rhapsody offers support for SysML and UML.
- Eclipse Capella – As an open-source MBSE solution, Eclipse Capella leverages the Arcadia method, which is commonly used to define the architecture of complex systems.
- Enterprise Architect – Available through Sparx Systems, Enterprise Architect is an excellent solution for large-scale system modeling. Comprehensive team-based modeling capabilities allow several users to simultaneously work on the same models.
Level Up Your Career with Georgia Tech's PMASE Program
Model-based systems engineering has plenty to offer in today's competitive engineering environment. Take a deep dive into MBSE with Georgia Tech’s Professional Master's in Applied Systems Engineering. The hybrid program — which mixes the flexibility of online learning with three immersive, on-site visits — can help you adopt a systems mindset as you apply new skills and concepts to address modern challenges.
Instructed by top researchers and engineers, students gain a real-world picture of the field while working alongside other career professionals. As PMASE graduate Alexander Michaels Pinarreta acknowledges, insights from industry leaders can prove invaluable and inspirational: "One of my favorite moments was having Sandy Friedenthal, the godfather of SysML, coming to speak to the group and inspiring my systems journey,” he says.
For those looking to round out their technical knowledge, Georgia Tech also offers certificate programs in systems engineering and modeling and simulation — designed for professionals ranging from scientists and engineers to project managers and businesspeople.
