The Future Exchange of Digital Engineering Data and Models: an Enterprise Systems Analysis

Abstract

Abstract In the process of the Defense Department’s Digital Engineering transformation, a series of innovation programs and challenges will need to be sponsored that lead to an evolutionary transformation of the defense engineering and acquisition enterprise. The DoD should pursue a set of development/investment opportunities in the areas that have the most impact on short and long term transformative change. A critical innovation impact area is the process of digital information exchange. In a study to address this transformation process, we used the systemigram method to create a conceptual model of a likely future digital information exchange process emerging from the department’s strategy. The systemigram process creates a holistic view of the outcomes of enterprise change for the stakeholders, who usually only have a small part of the system in their mental models. The systemigram was presented and validated at a Digital Information Exchange Working Group meeting attended by a broad group of government and industry stakeholders. The meeting and accompanying discussions started a process of community agreement on terminology and innovation needs surrounding the exchange of digital system information. This paper presents that systemigram model and discusses the outcomes of the community discussion. For those interested in the future information exchange process, the systemigram provides a first look at the end-to-end business process that should emerge from DoD Digital Engineering initiatives and strategy. For innovators, the systemigram provides a number of opportunity spaces that might be pursued.