Model based Systems Engineering - A Unified Approach using UML. In Systems Engineering - A Key to Competitive Advantage for All

Abstract. Dynamically controlled safety applications, passenger comfort, information and entertainment for operational convenience are the field of permanent innovation. In BMW’s high performance luxury segment’s vehicles, about 80 electronic control units are networked together to provide the driver with numerous features. To guarantee an appropriate level of quality within the allowed integration time of features, new and progressive techniques as well as notations are needed to support the early phases of development. The early phases of development include a maximum amount of potential to solve issues on the future development methodology. In addition to new notations reliably controlled integration processes for components with significantly different life-cycles including information management and change control are sketched. For these purposes BMW chose to utilize the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and to define its automotive-specific subset of UML. The structural part of the analysis model is specified by a state based specification notation to generate “executable requirements”. To support our methodology, domain specific and commercial tools have been tightly integrated to support a seamless development process. Effective information management and change control are based on a sound and seamless management of the projects’ requirements. Thus, the information model of the developed products is embedded in the requirements model