Using MBSE With SysML to Analyze Change Impacts, Including Efforts, in Technical Systems

Technical systems are subject to increasing complexity. Together with shortened product development cycles, frequency and importance of engineering changes (ECs) are increased. Due to change propagation (CP), ECs can have multiple side effects that are hard or even impossible to evaluate manually, making software-based support necessary. To deal with the increasing complexity and interconnectedness of technical systems, model-based systems engineering (MBSE) can be used. Systems are often modeled using the Systems Modeling Language (SysML). In this paper, an analysis approach is developed that enables the modeling of system element dependencies and change efforts with SysML. This enables the application of the approach inside MBSE environments. The approach can be used to conduct change impact analyses, including efforts and with consideration of CP. The developed approach is implemented prototypically in the MBSE tool Enterprise Architect. For validation, a case study is conducted, and the results are discussed.