Will Daimler manage the introduction of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)?

The ReConf took place in Munich this week. Dr. Siegmar Haasis, CIO at Daimler, gave an interesting presentation (and keynote) for this blog. It was about the Introduction of MBSE.

To say it up front: The quality of the keynote was rather mixed. Some of the statements were rather weak or not substantiated at all, and the commercials didn't have to be. However, this does not detract from the relevance of this presentation.

Update 2025This topic has become so important that I am writing a book about it. You can read here, why it is so important and here is the book website where you can actively participate. Product Velocity can contribute.

Timing and standards

Timing is everything, and for Dr. Haasis, now is the right time for MBSE. This is not only due to the increasing complexity, but also because of radical new functions (autonomous driving, electric cars) and the pressure to innovate. Daimler already has 30 vehicle derivatives today, and at least ten more will be added in the next few years. The drivers for MBSE at Daimler are complexity, variant management and configuration.

Standards, standards, standards!

Strategically, there are four areas at Daimler that require action, which can also be seen in the picture below:

• Cooperation with suppliers, especially in an international environment. Open standards play a central role here, with JT and ReqIF mentioned as examples. This is because standards make it possible to be active in a heterogeneous environment.
• Complexity and variance of products. This is certainly not a new issue, but it has become even more pressing as a result of technical progress and customer demands. Modularity is a keyword here. In particular, a simple "one-dimensional" system tree is no longer sufficient. Instead, he proposes a "module-based multidimensionality". I must confess, however, that I'm not quite sure how to imagine this.
• Digital prototypes. The message here was clear: more digital simulation is needed before prototypes are built. Dr. Haasis pointed out that a prototype costs around € 1,000,000 in the early phase. As dozens or even hundreds are currently being built, there is significant potential for savings here.
• Process integration, including partners. This is a continuation of the first point, only on a different level.

Away from text

I also found the next topic exciting, namely that textual requirements no longer scale. I myself have had to experience that even for small supplier components, tens of thousands of requirements are transferred from the manufacturer to the supplier. This is another area where the ReqIF format (Requirements Interchange Format) plays a central role. ReqIF is currently being introduced at Daimler and the process is based on the successful introduction of JT. Incidentally, Daimler has also supported the establishment of a workflow forum under the auspices of ProStep.

It was interesting to find out what modeling actually means. Dr. Haasis saw use cases as the most important or leading modeling element. He also claimed that CAD was introduced back then without a business case, just as MBSE is introduced today without a business case. However, I cannot understand how he came to this statement.

Culture

I then had the opportunity to ask a question. In my work, I have encountered cultural problems, especially in large corporations, where the step from component thinking to systems thinking is difficult for many traditional engineers, and in some cases there is active resistance. I was therefore particularly interested in how the cultural shift to MBSE is being practiced at Daimler.

Culture is not technocratic and has a lot to do with mindset. Culture cannot be prescribed.

Dr. Haasis uses an oasis as an analogy. You have to start selectively and then expand the sphere of influence concentrically and generate enthusiasm through success stories and personal experience.

I agree with this in principle, but in my opinion there is a lot more to it. In particular, the added value of MBSE only comes into play above a certain size. The answers were not really satisfactory, even if they were underpinned with nice analogies.

Even the final Daimler commercial did not leave the lecture with the best of memories. Too bad, because the topic itself is really exciting.

Cover picture: Daimler