| Abstract: |
A Systems Engineering−(SE) model and an ontology are two different concepts, although both can be used to represent information in the context of engineering or other domains. We assume that the two represen- tations are complementary, meaning that a SE model can be presented in the format of an ontology as an ex- ample. First, let us define ontology and SE model. An ontology is primarily a formalism used to represent semantic knowledge in a specific domain. It aims to formally define the concepts, relationships and prop- erties that exist in this domain, and to facilitate the understanding and manipulation of these concepts by machines and humans. A SE model is mainly used to represent and describe a complex system, in order to facilitate design, analysis, simulation, management and understanding of the system. The challenges of SE include: guaranteeing dig- ital continuity in large-scale organizations, manag- ing consistency in system design, impact analysis and anticipating architectural changes to guarantee cost and system safety, and aligning requirements with the functionalities and behavior of the designed systems. Given these challenges, several needs are envisaged to help systems engineers collaborate with each other, as well as to satisfy the system requirements declared by project stakeholders. As a result, systems engineers can leverage the integration of ontologies in their ap- proach, improving their understanding and manage- ment of data and concepts, leading then to better de- sign and more efficient implementation. Therefore, we are focusing on how to achieve this cohesion in SE, using ontologies as a way of aligning thinking and as a formalism to achieve consistency and fluidity in this field. |