Product life-cycle modeling utilizing sysML modeling
18th Annual International Symposium of the International Council on Systems Engineering, INCOSE 2008
Functional modeling and SysML/UML are defined communication languages that engineers and related disciplines use to communicate the nature of engineering products. We often see functional modeling and SysML/UML used to describe large, physical entities, such as airplanes or space craft. Systems engineers use functional modeling to decompose these large systems into subsystems. Each subsystem has defined requirements, defined roles and responsibilities (functions), and definable interfaces. Each subsystem consists of electrical hardware, mechanical hardware, and computer software. Functional modeling and SysML/UML can also be used for modeling program/project management processes, systems engineering processes, and manufacturing processes. Many organizations use an array of flow charts, organization charts, network diagrams, and spreadsheets to define engineering processes. This paper presents how Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) used functional modeling and SysML/UML to define the design and development processes and procedures for a product realization process (PRP) called the Integrated Phase Gate (IPG) Process. The use of functional modeling helped the organization more readily accept the use of systematic modeling for developing PRP. Additionally, this paper will explore the value of using SysML/UML over functional modeling in order to completely specify process and process artifacts. © 2008 by Georgia Artery, Mark De Spain and Regina Griego.