At Integrate 22, last year, we explored “The Case for a Common Information Infrastructure (CII)” that identified the need for a CII as a foundation to good systems engineering based on successful information sharing using consistent syntax and semantics across models. This year, we will expand upon this paradigm by applying it to an exemplar program showing that creating a well-formed digital engineering solution based on a CII, we can more effectively and efficiently solve hard problems that involve access to curated authoritative data sets from multiple sources and the interrelationships between them. This includes information that resides within more than one domain, e.g. system architecture, analysis of alternatives (AOA), design, cost, schedule, risk, requirements, etc.

Clearly, a decision-maker’s problems must be examined from many viewpoints, such as from architecting and engineering perspectives to see the influence of varying options and their potential impacts. In the same way acquisition guidance proposes AOA, one must also consider identifying solutions to a given problem in light of the factors that come from multiple domains. For example, solutions for the customer may not be focused solely on a system’s design but may also consider Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel, Facilities (DOTMLPF) elements. CII’s comprehensive problem-solving approach drives the solution to interrelate these types of domains and reveal their relationships.

We will demonstrate how this works by utilizing the CII‘s working element, the Discovery Enabling Capability (DEC). DEC uses the connections between elements in the CII as a means to more easily answer questions that bridge multiple models and/or domains. In this way, CII/DEC’s capability provides a means to represent all data regarding a system, a system-of-systems, enterprises or multi-enterprise ventures. This is Digital Engineering implemented, a means to take DE from being a concept to a reality.

Speaker Biography

Daniel Winton received two M.S. degrees from the University of Southern California, one in Systems Management and one in Systems Architecting and Engineering. Currently, he is a Senior Project Leader in the Systems Engineering Division at Aerospace Corporation where he has been a member of the technical staff for more than 25 years. As a Practicing Digital Engineer, he supports multiple programs across the Aerospace portfolio. In addition to being the International Council on Systems Engineering Los Angeles (INCOSE-LA) Membership Chair, he continues to be a leader in the Aerospace Totally Adaptable Group that represents people with disabilities at Aerospace.