How are Digital Engineering & MBSE Related?
What is Digital Engineering?
Digital engineering is a process that uses digital technologies to design, develop, and manage engineered products and systems. This process integrates digital technologies and engineering disciplines to create efficient and cost-effective products and systems that meet customer requirements. It also involves the use of digital tools and processes such as computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and product lifecycle management (PLM). Digital engineering can be applied to various industries, including automotive, aerospace, energy, medical, and manufacturing.
Digital engineering is an integrated digital approach that uses authoritative sources of system data and models as a continuum across disciplines to support lifecycle activities from concept through disposal.
What this looks like:
Way of achieving efficiency and consistency in how we perform engineering
Collaboration through the use of Digital Threads to connect models, processes, and engagements
Design vetting in a virtual environment with Digital Twins so that potential downstream issues can be mitigated
Incorporates technologies such as advanced computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and robotics to improve the engineering practice
Drives better informed decision making, enhanced communication, & increased understanding and confidence in the system design.
DoDs Digital Engineering 5 Strategic Goals
Formalize development, integration, and use of models to inform enterprise and program decision making
Provide an enduring, authoritative source of truth (ASoT)
Incorporate technological innovation to improve the engineering practice
Establish a supporting infrastructure and environments to perform activities and communicate across stakeholders
Transform the culture and workforce to adopt and support digital engineering across the lifecycle
What is Model Based Systems Engineering?
Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is a discipline that uses graphical models to define and analyze the behavior of a system. It is a holistic approach to systems engineering that focuses on creating a unified model of the system which can be used to simulate, analyze, and optimize the system's performance. MBSE is used to ensure that the system meets its design requirements, is resilient to change, and is optimized for the system's goals.
MBSE is a culture shift in how Systems Engineering and Architecture work is performed primarily because all the design work is done in a digital database. An engineer can extract multiple "views" or diagrams depending on who s/he is trying to communicate with, and changes in the design are nearly instantaneous if the modeling of the design is done correctly and all elements are correctly linked together.
Time efficiencies and accuracy of communication of the design work via use of the model are the intended outcomes. Additionally, if MBSE is linked into a wholistic Digital Engineering (DE) chain, then the digitized information can be extracted and sent to linked tools in the chain.
How are Digital Engineering & MBSE Related?
MBSE (Model-Based System Engineering) and Digital Engineering are closely related because MBSE is a subset of Digital Engineering. Digital Engineering is a comprehensive approach to designing and engineering complex digital products and systems, while MBSE is a specific methodology within Digital Engineering that uses models to design and analyze systems. MBSE supports digital engineering by helping to reduce complexity, improve collaboration, and increase efficiency.
In short, "Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is a subset of digital engineering." -SEBoK
Digital engineering is the use of metadata (hashtags, hyperlinks, dependencies, etc.) to help solve engineering solutions. This is very broad term. MBSE is using digital model to create digital systems. This will have digital links created between structural, behavioral, and requirements elements.
Additional Related Q&As
How quickly can Digital Engineering be adopted?
Digital Engineering is complex. Creating digital threads and continuously integrated authoritative source of truth requires changes to the way engineers executes and requires tools to be interoperable and scalable. Value can be found incrementally by looking for early quick wins and later expanding.
What value is realized from Digital Engineering?
When done properly, digital engineering drives accuracy and completeness of the architecture and design. Because everyone is working from the same source, it helps foster communication between teams. It allows a movement from a document-centric approach to a model-centric approach which can be tested and verified. Additionally, DoD programs are pushing this strategy so alignment to the source of money is important.