MEASUREMENT FRAMEWORK FOR MODEL-BASED SYSTEMS ENGINEERING (MBSE)

Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is an increasingly accepted practice in the Systems Engineering community, however, little has been done to empirically show that MBSE provides value. Furthermore, as the industry continues in the direction of digital transformation, MBSE will become a critical component of the larger Digital Engineering (DE) approach. This paper presents a measurement framework for selecting and developing appropriate metrics to assess the value/benefits of MBSE and subsequently DE. Utilizing expected benefits identified in a review of MBSE literature, a causal map was hypothesized to show how expected benefits (potential metrics) influence and relate to each other. This was done in order to systematically determine which benefits would be the most impactful to measure. The hypothesized causal model was presented to subject-matter experts from the Digital Engineering Working Group who provided feedback and validation for the model. Based on the causal map and subsequent analysis, we can recommend the first metrics to be employed for DE/MBSE based on the most influential nodes of the causal model.