Timeinx is committed to meeting the challenge of systematising and streamlining systems engineering (or interdepartmental business) operations communication. We achieve this through high-level, systemic communication of structural and representative information generated throughout the course of those operations. To find out more, please refer to the home page.
In a 2018 paper [1], we already discussed OSLC (Open Services for Lifecycle Collaboration) [2], in particular stating: OSLC defines an approach for resource and capability discovery and UI enablement. OSLC Core is the primary specification that enables those functionalities. It was also written on OSLC website: “This specification establishes terminology and rules for defining resources in terms of the property names and value-types that are allowed and required.” OSLC also builds on W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) standards through OSLC domain (e.g., Requirement Management, Quality Management) specifications that comply to OSLC Core. Yet these specifications introduce new objects and relations. OSLC aims at integrating heterogeneous tools that deal with data related to these domains.
OSLC’s primary focus is on tools/data integration and resources exposition and sharing (through predefined OSLC domains). This is not the case for Timeinx, where no tool integration is required and the focus is on information and not tools or the introduction of new languages. Nevertheless, it could be argued that resources published through OSLC could be used as inputs for Timeinx. OSLC define elements (OSLC domains) which may already be well defined in domain-specific settings. This could result in different implementations by different vendors.
With regard to MoSSEC (Modelling and Simulation in a Collaborative Systems Engineering Context), it is [3][4]: “… to enable full traceability and re-use of modeling and simulation information throughout the product lifecycle and independent of the specific IT applications used across collaborating enterprises. The standard targets to cover a core subset of AP239 systems engineering information content and related information services […] The globalization of aerospace and defence industries drives large volumes of work for modelling and simulation of product performance and behaviour, into geographically distributed teams and into the supply chain. This data is used to justify change decisions and to validate the product throughout development, certification and in-service. The MoSSEC standard enables a proper exchange and sharing of modelling and simulation data with traceability to its systems engineering & PDM context. This enables competitive and robust product development in global teams, where modelling and simulation data is fully traceable to the PDM referential, and enabling quick validation of next design changes, whether in product development or in-service phases.”
Futhermore it is written [3]: “Why MoSSEC? There are mature PLM platforms in the marketplace that manage traceability, why should we consider MoSSEC? The distinguishing feature of the traceability targeted by MoSSEC is the need for interoperable traceability between: Teams Platforms Organizations … permitting knowledge exchange irrespective of the platform.”
In essence, MoSSEC supplements modelling and simulation data with collaboration data (or metadata based on the ISO 10303-4000 STEP core model library) through MoSSEC-compliant tools in accordance with the ISO 10303-18 Web Services standard.
We adhere to the MoSSEC standard regarding the independence from specific IT applications, but we go a step further by not requiring tools that are timeinx-compliant. Instead, we only require FAIR [5] + Versioned data. This means that we do not require a tool integration/change or standard integration for using the Timeinx platform. Furthermore, while MoSSEC places importance on certain standards, our focus is on FAIR+V data. We believe this approach enables the involvement of all relevant stakeholders. Resources published through these standards could be used as inputs for Timeinx.
We are aligned with MoSSEC on the necessity for “interoperable traceability between: Teams Platforms Organizations … permitting knowledge exchange irrespective of the platform.” However, in contrast to MoSSEC, which concentrates on modelling and simulation data, we consider any structural or pertinent information generated throughout the systems engineering project/program. This information can be related to different phases (feasibility, concept, design, fabrication, etc.) and domains (requirement, finance, procurement, etc.), which are all necessary to gain a comprehensive, systemic perspective. Our approach is not targeted at teams, platforms or organisations, but rather at structural pieces of information produced by the latter with a high-level view that may help recover specific details. We believe this contributes to bridging gaps between apparently separated people, domains and activities and to fostering awareness.
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1. Freddy K. Simo and Dominique Lenne. On the Systems Engineering Process of some Systems (of Systems). 2018 13th IEEE Annual Conference on System of Systems Engineering (SoSE). DOI: 10.1109/SYSOSE.2018.8428708
2. OSLC Open Services for Lifecycle Collaboration https://open-services.net
3. MoSSEC Modelling and Simulation information in a collaborative Systems Engineering Context http://www.mossec.org/
4. ISO STEP AP243 MoSSEC http://www.asd-ssg.org/mossec.html/
5. FAIR data https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FAIR_data/
