Goal-Based Domain Modeling as a Basis for Cross-Disciplinary Systems Engineering - Intentional Perspectives on Information Systems Engineering - page 90

goals, it does not yet address the particularities of the development process
employed by SMEs.
3.2.1 Fast Requirements Capture
To address the need for fast requirements capture, the SME is supposed to create one
or several specific domain i ∗ models that reflect the field(s) the SME is specialized
in and that are suitable as an information management infrastructure as well as a
starting point for individual models.
As an example, Fig. 4 shows the partial view of the domain model for the com-
bustion engine sub domain [ 39] . The figure shows the “electronic control unit”
omitting all internal details at the center of the picture. The controlled system, i.e.
the combustion engine, is modeled in more detail.
The “combustion engine block” is detailed out by internal features regarding
for example, the different kinds of “fuel” (“diesel”, “gasoline”, “gas”, “biodiesel”),
various types of “cylinder positioning” (“box”, “V”, “row”), or the “number of
cylinders” (“2” to “8”). It is also possible to separate out important components as
it has happened with the “common rail” and the “camshaft regulation”. The lower
part of the figure concerns the details of the “air path” that is important for “exhaust
gas after treatment” and “turbo charger” capabilities. Various sensors and actua-
tors connect the engine components to the “electronic control unit” and thus circle
around this modeling element. At the upper right, a generic “customer” with some
hardgoals and softgoals is also present.
An SME is expected to tailor such a domain model to its particular needs. For
Fig. 4, it has been assumed that the SME has particular knowledge in the field of
“turbo charging”. Thus, the modeling of the “air path” is more extensive than other
SMEs would need it. It is easily conceivable that an SME prepares several models
of this kind for the various subdomains it is active in. For example, there could also
be a domain model for driver assistance systems, electrical engines as well as the
combination of combustion and electrical engines as hybrid systems.
The development process at an SME is affected by the existence of a domain
model in the following way. Instead of starting from scratch when a potential cus-
tomer has approached the SME, the engineer chooses a domain model and starts
with a copy of it. After eliminating the parts of the model that do not apply for the
current project, the engineer can add new elements that are specific to the project
at hand. Thus, a requirements model of the new control problem can be established
rapidly.
3.2.2 Search for Similar Projects
The next step for the SME is to provide a competitive and reliable cost calcula-
tion. To support this activity a domain model based similarity search is provided
to identify related earlier projects and reusable components [ 39] . A fully automated
identification of reusable software artifacts is not possible. Always a senior engineer
is needed to do the technical inspection and to decide if an existing software artifact