AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al
Th eads
Xin Lu
Ins i u e EDMRC
0009-0001-6371-9472, China
[email p o ec ed]
Mau Wung
Ins i u e EDMRC
0009-0007-4290-2992, China
[email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
O e he pas wo decades, ou unde s anding o p oduc de el-
opmen has changed undamen ally. Disciplines ha we e once
clea ly dis inc om one ano he , such as mechanical enginee -
ing, elec ical enginee ing and so wa e de elopmen , ha e now
become inc easingly in e wined. P oduc s a e no longe isola ed
objec s, bu a he nodes in a ne wo k o sys ems, da a and p o-
cesses. In his en i onmen , i is no longe enough o manage indi-
idual da a se s – hey mus low, emain consis en and be a ail-
able o he igh people a he igh ime. The AI-based li ecycle
managemen sys em o Digi al Th eads (Digi al Th ead o sho )
has he e o e es ablished i sel as he backbone o mode n sys-
em enginee ing. Ea ly app oaches o p oduc da a managemen
(PDM) ocused on he cen al s o age o CAD da a and he man-
agemen o e sions and app o als. Howe e , wi h he ad en o
complex mecha onic sys ems, ne wo ked ehicles and modula
plan s, i became clea ha his app oach was no su icien . Com-
panies began o ealise ha i was no enough o simply s o e ge-
ome ies; hey needed a sys em ha mapped he en i e li ecycle
o a p oduc – om he ini ial equi emen h ough de elopmen
and p oduc ion o ope a ion and decommissioning. Today, Digi al
Th eads’ AI-based li ecycle managemen sys em ac s as a digi al
ne ous sys em ha connec s disciplines such as mechanics, elec-
onics, so wa e and simula ion. While sys em enginee ing p o-
ides me hodical app oaches o s uc u ing equi emen s and a -
chi ec u es, Digi al Th ead ensu es ha he associa ed da a is ind-
able, aceable and up o da e. This objec -o ien ed app oach c e-
a es anspa ency and enables end- o-end aceabili y, which is a
key equi emen o mode n sys ems enginee ing. Ano he ea u e
o mode n digi al h ead app oaches is he seamless in eg a ion o
models and p oduc da a. Changes in one discipline – o example,
in design – can au oma ically de ec and o wa d all a ec ed a eas
such as equi emen s, es s and unc ions. This p omo es he con-
inuous low o in o ma ion and p e en s unno iced consequences
o changes elsewhe e in he sys em. The close link be ween AI-
based li ecycle managemen sys ems o digi al h eads and sys em
enginee ing goes beyond echnical necessi ies and p omo es cul-
u al change in companies. O ganisa ions mus no only in oduce
Pe mission o make digi al o ha d copies o all o pa o his wo k o pe sonal o
class oom use is g an ed wi hou ee p o ided ha copies a e no made o dis ibu ed
o p o i o comme cial ad an age and ha copies bea his no ice and he ull ci a-
ion on he i s page. Copy igh s o componen s o his wo k owned by o he s han
he au ho (s) mus be hono ed. Abs ac ing wi h c edi is pe mi ed. To copy o he -
wise, o epublish, o pos on se e s o o edis ibu e o lis s, equi es p io speci ic
pe mission and/o a ee. Reques pe missions om [email p o ec ed].
SammelA ikel EDMS,
© Copy igh held by he owne /au ho (s). Publica ion igh s licensed o ACM.
ACM ISBN 978-x-xxxx-xxxx-x/YYYY/MM
h ps://doi.o g/XXXXXXX.XXXXXXX
echnology, bu also clea ly de ine p ocesses and esponsibili ies in
o de o ully exploi he e ec i eness o his sys em. Clea , ans-
pa en handling o changes, sys ema ic managemen o a ian s
and in eg a ion o eal- ime da a om ope a ions a e key success
ac o s o he implemen a ion o digi al h eads. The concep o
he ‘digi al win’, which enables a con inuous connec ion be ween
eal and i ual p oduc models, can only be ealised h ough he
consis ency and anspa ency o e ed by digi al h eads. This, in
u n, p omo es mo e sus ainable and da a-d i en decision-making
p ocesses ha can be aken in o accoun h oughou he en i e
p oduc li ecycle, om de elopmen o main enance. O e all, i is
clea ha AI-based digi al h ead li ecycle managemen sys ems
no only p o ide he echnical basis o sys em enginee ing, bu
a e also an in eg al elemen o he success ul de elopmen and
ope a ion o complex, ne wo ked sys ems. They p omo e inno a-
ion, imp o e quali y and enable companies o make hei p oduc
de elopmen mo e lexible and e icien .
Keywo ds
Sys em o sys ems, li ecycle managemen , MBSE, PLM, CAD/CAE,
digi al h ead, digi al win, a ian and con igu a ion managemen
ACM Re e ence Fo ma :
Xin Lu and Mau Wung. . AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Manage-
men o Digi al Th eads. In P oceedings o SammelA ikel EDMS. ACM, New
Yo k, NY, USA, 9 pages. h ps://doi.o g/XXXXXXX.XXXXXXX
1 In oduc ion
Du ing he pas wo decades, he unde s anding o p oduc de el-
opmen has changed p o oundly. Whe eas in he pas i was pos-
sible o d aw a ela i ely clea dis inc ion be ween mechanical de-
sign, elec ical design, and so wa e de elopmen , oday he bound-
a ies be ween hese disciplines a e becoming inc easingly blu ed.
P oduc s a e no longe isola ed objec s bu nodes in a ne wo k o
sys ems, da a, and p ocesses. In his en i onmen , i is no longe
enough o manage indi idual da a se s hey mus low, emain con-
sis en , and be a ailable o he igh people a he igh ime. This is
p ecisely why p oduc li ecycle managemen , o AI based Sys em
o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads o sho , has
become he backbone o mode n sys ems enginee ing. Many engi-
nee s who ha e been wo king wi h AI based Sys em o Sys ems
Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads sys ems o yea s s ill
emembe he ea ly days. Ini ially, he ocus was on cen ally s o -
ing CAD da a, con olling e sions, and managing app o als. The
e m PDM, o p oduc da a managemen , was used and he ocus
SammelA ikel EDMS, EDMS and PLM
was clea ly on design. Howe e , wi h he ad en o complex, in-
e disciplina y p oduc s such as mecha onic sys ems, ne wo ked
ehicles, o modula plan s his app oach was no longe su icien .
Companies began o ealize ha i was no enough o simply s o e
geome ies. Wha was needed was a sys em ha wen wi h he
en i e li e cycle o a p oduc : om he i s equi emen h ough
de elopmen and p oduc ion o ope a ion and decommissioning.
The AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi-
al Th eads hus became a kind o digi al ne ous sys em. I con-
nec s wha belongs oge he in eali y bu is o en sepa a ed o ga-
niza ionally: mechanics, elec onics, so wa e, simula ion, coo di-
na ion, and se ice. While sys ems enginee ing supplies a me hod-
ical iew o hese in e ela ionships i.e., i asks how equi emen s,
a chi ec u es and e i ica ions a e s uc u ed AI based Sys em o
Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads ensu es ha he
associa ed da a is indable, aceable, and up o da e. I is, so o
speak, he echnical implemen a ion o sys em hinking. A key ea-
u e o mode n AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen
o Digi al Th eads app oaches is ha hey a e no longe documen -
cen ic, bu objec -o ien ed. In he pas , equi emen s, d awings, o
es s we e conside ed indi idual iles, each wi h i s own li e cycle.
Today, his in o ma ion is conside ed pa o a la ge , ne wo ked
da a model, A equi emen is no longe a s a ic ex bu an objec
ha is ela ed o many o he objec s: o he unc ion i ul ills; o he
pa ha implemen s i ; o he es case ha e i ies i . This ne wo k
s uc u e c ea es anspa ency and allows aceabili y bo h co e
equi emen s o sys em enginee ing. Ano he aspec ha has be-
come hugely impo an in ecen yea s is he in eg a ion o sus ain-
abili y in o he li e cycle. Sus ainabili y used o be seen as an iso-
la ed goal a he end o p oduc de elopmen . Today, i is inc eas-
ingly unde s ood as a da a-d i en, con inuous p ocess. Resea ch
indings om Camb idge and Munich show ha AI based Sys em
o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads is he ideal
pla o m o eco ding and e alua ing en i onmen al and social
indica o s h oughou he en i e li ecycle [30]. I ma e ial da a, en-
e gy consump ion and ecycling in o ma ion a e al eady modelled
in he de elopmen phase, design decisions can be speci ically op-
imised owa ds sus ainabili y. IEEE a icles om he Sus ainable
Sys ems Enginee ing se ies unde sco e his end: AI based Sys-
em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads ac s as
a ”da a con aine ” o sus ainabili y me ics anging om equi e-
men s o manu ac u ing and disposal [31]. The connec ion wi h
MBSE models makes i possible o include ecological impac s in
simula ions and sys em analyses a decisi e s ep owa ds ”g een en-
ginee ing”. AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o
Digi al Th eads in he con ex o global collabo a ion The mo e con-
nec ed p oduc s become, he mo e global de elopmen ne wo ks
become. P ojec s wi h supplie s, uni e si ies, so wa e companies
and manu ac u ing pa ne s gene a e an eno mous a ie y o sys-
ems, ools, and p ocesses. This aises he ques ion: How can AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
unc ion in a globally dis ibu ed ecosys em wi hou iola ing he
da a so e eign y o indi idual pa ne s? The answe lies in ede -
a ed AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al
Th eads a chi ec u es. Uni e si ies such as ETH Zu ich and MIT
a e wo king on concep s in which each pa ne company manages
i s da a locally bu eleases ce ain in o ma ion ia s anda dised in-
e aces [32]. These ” ede a ed AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecy-
cle Managemen o Digi al Th eads sys ems” enable collabo a ion
wi hou cen al da a s o age. IEEE s udies desc ibe hem as a ”sys-
em o sys ems” in he ue sense o he wo d: loosely coupled bu
connec ed by go e nance mechanisms [33]. The ae ospace indus-
y supplies a success ul example. He e, dozens o companies in
di e en domains wo k on a common sys em. Fede a ed AI based
Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads en-
su es ha e e y change is au oma ically mi o ed in all ele an
a chi ec u es wi hou anyone ha ing o access ex e nal sys ems
[34]. AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi-
al Th eads implemen a ion a cul u al change Despi e all he ech-
nical ad ances, he in oduc ion o a holis ic AI based Sys em o
Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads sys em s ays a
cul u al challenge. Many companies unde es ima e he ex en o
which such a sys em in e e es wi h exis ing powe and commu-
nica ion s uc u es. A good AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle
Managemen o Digi al Th eads o ces anspa ency: who changes
wha , when and why? Resea ch a MIT (SEARI Labo a o y) shows
ha success ul AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen
o Digi al Th eads implemen a ions a e always accompanied by
a clea change s a egy [35]. This includes ea ly in ol emen o
specialis depa men s, i e a i e in oduc ion in pilo p ojec s, and
abo e all, consis en communica ion o he bene i s. A ecu ing
pa e n in empi ical s udies: he echnology wo ks bu people need
o unde s and why i is wo h using i p ope ly. Tha is why AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
go e nance is inc easingly seen oday as pa o o ganisa ional de-
elopmen and no longe as an IT issue [36].
AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al
Th eads and sys ems enginee ing in educa ion and esea ch The
academic wo ld is also ollowing sui . Many uni e si ies ha e now
se up hei own AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Manage-
men o Digi al Th eads labo a o ies whe e s uden s lea n how o
o ches a e da a lows ac oss disciplines. Camb idge, oge he wi h
indus y pa ne s, uns a es en i onmen in which MBSE and AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
ools a e linked o simula e eal sys em ne wo ks [37]. IEEE con-
e ences on enginee ing educa ion show ha eaching AI based
Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads skills
is now conside ed a basic equi emen o sys ems enginee s [38].
This is less abou unning indi idual ools and mo e abou unde -
s anding he connec ions be ween equi emen s, models, da a, and
p ocesses o o m a con inuous li ecycle sys em. Ou look om AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
o knowledge backbone Wha s ays is he ealiza ion ha AI based
Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads is
on i s way o de eloping in o a knowledge backbone. In he u-
u e, i will be less abou s o ing iles and mo e abou s uc u -
ing knowledge. Camb idge esea che s a e al eady alking abou
”p oduc knowledge g aphs”: ne wo ks o in o ma ion, ela ion-
ships, s a es, and insigh s ha a e cons an ly being expanded ia
AI mechanisms [39]. The AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle
Managemen o Digi al Th eads is hus becoming he ne ous sys-
em o a company i connec s no only da a, bu also ways o hink-
ing, people, and expe iences. I sys ems enginee ing supplies he
AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads SammelA ikel EDMS,
me hodological amewo k, hen AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li e-
cycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads is he body in which his
me hod li es. The coming yea s will show how a o ganiza ions
a e p epa ed o go down his pa h. One hing is ce ain: hose who
con ol hei da a lows con ol he u u e o hei sys ems.
2 Con inuous low o in o ma ion ha
p e en s a change
In a well-designed AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Manage-
men o Digi al Th eads sys em, such ela ionships can no only
be ep esen ed, bu also pu in o p ac ice. When an enginee in
he design depa men makes a change o an assembly, he sys em
can au oma ically ecognise which unc ions, equi emen s o es
cases a e a ec ed. In many cases, hese links a e used o igge
change wo k lows o au oma ically send no i ica ions o he ele-
an esponsible pa ies. This c ea es a con inuous low o in o ma-
ion ha p e en s a change in one place om igge ing unno iced
consequences elsewhe e. Pe haps he mos c ucial poin he e is
ha AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al
Th eads and sys ems enginee ing should no be seen as compe -
ing concep s. On he con a y, hey a e complemen a y. Sys ems
enginee ing supplies he me hodological amewo k he mindse
and p ocesses o s uc u ing complex sys ems. AI based Sys em
o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads, in u n, sup-
plies he echnical pla o m ha makes his mindse possible in
e e yday li e. I you like, sys ems enginee ing is he heo y and AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
is i s p ac ical in as uc u e. In indus y, his connec ion is pa ic-
ula ly clea whe e companies a e ying o in oduce model-based
app oaches i.e., MBSE. The idea o no longe desc ibing sys ems in
Powe Poin and Excel, bu in o malised models, has long been ac-
cep ed in heo y. In p ac ice, howe e , MBSE o en s ays isola ed.
Models a e c ea ed ha a e logically consis en bu ha e no con-
nec ion o eal p oduc da a. They a e me hodologically sound bu
o ganisa ionally ine ec i e. Only when AI based Sys em o Sys-
ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads inco po a es hese
models, e sions hem and links hem o physical da a does MBSE
become a li ing pa o de elopmen . An example om he au o-
mo i e indus y illus a es his e y clea ly. The e, sys em a chi ec-
u es a e modelled in SysML and hen linked o he pa s lis s and
CAD assemblies in he AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Man-
agemen o Digi al Th eads sys em. I a sys em unc ion changes,
he designe can a once see which componen s a e a ec ed. Con-
e sely, a change in he design can igge a message in he sys em
model so ha he unc ional ela ionships can be checked. This is
no a heo e ical gimmick in eali y, i sa es days o weeks o co-
o dina ion and p e en s misunde s andings ha in classic p ojec s
o en only become clea in he p o o ype o e en in he ield. In his
con ex , i is wo h hinking abou he e m ”da a low”. A da a
low is no simply a echnical anspo channel. I is he isible
exp ession o c oss-disciplina y collabo a ion. When in o ma ion
can low eely wi hou ha ing o be ein e p e ed o e o ma ed
a each ans e poin , e iciency is c ea ed. AI based Sys em o
Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads o ganises p e-
cisely his low: i ensu es ha equi emen s, models, d awings,
es s, and eedback ha e a common seman ic ounda ion. Bu as is
so o en he case in echnology, he g ea es di icul y lies no in
he so wa e, bu in he o ganisa ion. A AI based Sys em o Sys ems
Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads sys em o ces companies
o add ess issues ha hey p e iously p e e ed o a oid: Who is
au ho ised o make changes? Who handles da a quali y? How is
i decided which e sion is ” ue” when se e al depa men s a e
wo king on he same pa ? These ques ions ine i ably lead o cul-
u al con lic s and his is o en he eason AI based Sys em o Sys-
ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads p ojec s ail o ake
yea s o comple e. The companies ha ha e success ully managed
his change sha e a common pa e n: hey iew AI based Sys em
o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads no as an IT
p ojec , bu as a change in he way hey wo k. The echnology is
only he ool; wha is c ucial is ha people unde s and why da a
lows a e impo an . I a design enginee knows ha his change e-
ques no only a ec s he d awing se , bu also in luences equi e-
men s, es s, and supplie ela ionships, he will au oma ically ac
mo e consciously. AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Manage-
men o Digi al Th eads hus c ea es no only anspa ency, bu
also a sense o esponsibili y. Ano he o en unde es ima ed a ea is
a ian and con igu a ion managemen . In a wo ld whe e p oduc s
a e becoming inc easingly indi idualised, e e y sys em mus be
able o manage coun less a ian s wi hou he complexi y explod-
ing. AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al
Th eads supplies he me hodological and echnical mechanisms o
keep con igu a ions consis en . Ins ead o c ea ing copies o each
new a ian , common base elemen s a e used and con olled ia
cha ac e is ic alues. This ensu es aceabili y and allows changes
o be p opaga ed in a a ge ed manne wi hou c ea ing chains o
e o s. The bene i s o AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Man-
agemen o Digi al Th eads become e en clea e when you look
a he li e cycle beyond he de elopmen phase. In he pas , he
wo k o enginee s was la gely comple ed once se ies p oduc ion
had been app o ed. Today, unning and se ice da a lows back
in o de elopmen pa ly au oma ically ia senso s, pa ly manu-
ally ia main enance sys ems. AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li e-
cycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads is he essel in which his
da a can be collec ed and analysed. This c ea es he ”digi al win”
he i ual image o he physical p oduc ha e ol es in pa allel
wi h i . The win h i es on he consis ency o i s da a, and his
consis ency in u n can only be gua an eed by AI based Sys em
o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads. A company
ha wan s o un i s digi al win se iously needs a AI based Sys em
o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads sys em ha
e lec s e e y change o he eal objec : e e y modi ica ion, e e y
spa e pa , e e y i mwa e upda e. Only hen can he digi al win
se e as a decision-making ool o example, o p edic i e main-
enance o a ian analysis. Wi hou AI based Sys em o Sys ems
Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads, i would be a sho -li ed
3D model wi h no connec ion o eali y. The opic o sus ainabil-
i y also akes on new meaning in he con ex o AI based Sys em
o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads and sys ems
enginee ing. In he pas , sus ainabili y was seen as con adic o y
o e iciency i was unde s ood as an added bu den. Today, i is an
in eg al pa o li ecycle hinking. When a AI based Sys em o Sys-
ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads sys em collec s in-
o ma ion abou ma e ials, ene gy consump ion, anspo ou es
SammelA ikel EDMS, EDMS and PLM
and ecycling op ions, sus ainabili y becomes a ques ion o da a. I
becomes measu able and he e o e con ollable. This enables com-
panies o make design decisions ha a e bo h ecologically and eco-
nomically sound. A he same ime, he ocus is shi ing o in e op-
e abili y be ween di e en AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle
Managemen o Digi al Th eads sys ems. Ha dly any company o-
day de elops e e y hing on i s own. Value c ea ion akes place in
ne wo ks wi h pa ne s, supplie s, and esea ch ins i u ions. The
classic idea o a cen al da abase is no enable in such scena -
ios. Ins ead, ede a ed s uc u es a e appea ing in which each pa -
ne keeps i s da a bu supplies de ined in e aces. These ” ede -
a ed AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi-
al Th eads a chi ec u es” enable collabo a ion wi hou sac i icing
da a so e eign y. They a e he echnical exp ession o a sys em
o sys ems loosely coupled bu connec ed by common go e nance.
The a ia ion indus y supplies a good example o his. Dozens o
companies wo k on a plane engine manu ac u e s, a ionics suppli-
e s, s uc u al de elope s, supplie s o cabins and sys ems. Each
o hese o ganisa ions uns i s own AI based Sys em o Sys ems
Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads, bu he ele an in o ma-
ion is exchanged ia s anda dised in e aces. This c ea es a highe -
le el li ecycle managemen sys em ha ensu es he in eg i y o he
o e all sys em wi hou cu ailing he au onomy o he indi idual
pa ne s. This concep can also be applied o o he indus ies. In
mechanical enginee ing, o example, companies’ ne wo k ia AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads-
d i en pla o ms o join ly de elop assemblies and keep hei li e-
cycles synch onised. This sho ens de elopmen imes and allows
changes o be ound a an ea ly s age. Wha was conside ed a i-
sion en yea s ago is now a eali y in many places bu only whe e
companies we e willing o commi o common da a s anda ds and
anspa en p ocesses. The u u e o AI based Sys em o Sys ems
Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads will p obably be e en
mo e knowledge o ien ed. Resea che s a e al eady alking abou
”p oduc knowledge g aphs” ne wo ks in which in o ma ion is no
only s o ed bu also linked in a con ex - ela ed manne . A he
ouch o a bu on, such a knowledge g aph could show which e-
qui emen s a pa icula unc ion ul ils, which ma e ials a e used
and wha sus ainabili y implica ions his has. AI based Sys em o
Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads hus becomes
a ca ie o collec i e knowledge, no longe jus a s o age acili y
o iles. A he same ime, he ole o humans will change. Engi-
nee s will spend less ime sea ching o in o ma ion and mo e ime
in e p e ing and e alua ing i . The sys em supplies he con ex , hu-
mans make he decisions. This balance is whe e he eal s eng h o
digi alisa ion lies i does no eplace expe ience; i makes i mo e
usable. When you ake all hese de elopmen s oge he , you e-
alise ha AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o
Digi al Th eads in sys ems enginee ing is no jus a echnical ne-
cessi y, bu a cul u al one. I o ces o ganisa ions o ake esponsi-
bili y o he en i e li e cycle. I c ea es anspa ency whe e he e
used o be depa men al bounda ies. I enables lea ning om use,
a he han jus eac ing o e o s. And i ensu es ha he knowl-
edge gained in a p ojec is no los when i is comple ed. A a ime
when p oduc s a e changing e e mo e apidly and de elopmen
cycles a e becoming sho e , his is p ecisely he decisi e ac o
o success. Da a lows a e now wha he p oduc ion line used o
be: he backbone o alue c ea ion. Those who mas e hem can
d i e inno a ion, minimise isks and ensu e quali y. Those who
igno e hem lose no only e iciency, bu also he abili y o unde -
s and complex sys ems a all. Ul ima ely, p oduc li ecycle man-
agemen is no a ool ha you in oduce and hen i jus wo ks. I
is a way o hinking. I means aking esponsibili y o he en i e
li ecycle no only echnically, bu also o ganisa ionally and e hi-
cally. This esponsibili y is whe e he ue s eng h o sys ems en-
ginee ing lies. A e all, sys ems a e no made success ul by ools,
bu by people who unde s and hei in e ela ionships and b ing
hem oge he in o a common s uc u e. AI based Sys em o Sys-
ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads is he backbone ha
suppo s his s uc u e quie ly, unspec acula ly, bu indispensably.
P oduc li ecycle managemen (AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecy-
cle Managemen o Digi al Th eads) has long been mo e han jus a
s o age sys em o CAD da a i is he connec ing elemen be ween
de elopmen , p oduc ion and ope a ion. AI based Sys em o Sys-
ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads plays a key ole in
sys ems enginee ing in pa icula : i ensu es ha models, equi e-
men s, es s and changes emain consis en ac oss all disciplines.
This a icle highligh s how mode n AI based Sys em o Sys ems
Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads sys ems o ganise da a
lows, manage a ian s and in eg a e sys em models. P ac ical ex-
amples a e used o show how companies a e mas e ing he an-
si ion om documen -based p ocesses o model-based, ne wo ked
wo k lows. AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o
Digi al Th eads as he backbone o sys ems enginee ing how da a
lows become a success ac o When enginee s alk abou sys ems
enginee ing oday, i is no longe jus abou mas e ing echnical
complexi y. I is abou cohe ence ensu ing ha e e yone in ol ed
in a de elopmen p ocess, om sys em a chi ec s o se ice echni-
cians, has access o he same le el o knowledge wi hou wo king
in da a silos. This is p ecisely why p oduc li ecycle managemen ,
o AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al
Th eads o sho , has become he co ne s one o mode n sys ems
enginee ing. AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen
o Digi al Th eads began as a me hodological amewo k o cen-
ally managing CAD da a, pa s lis s and change s a uses. In he
ea ly 2000s, i was s ill conside ed ”enginee ing documen manage-
men ”. Today, i has become a s a egic ” ” ne ous sys em ha con-
nec s all de elopmen , p oduc ion, and ope a ional in o ma ion [1].
Leading esea ch including a he Uni e si y o Camb idge, MIT
and in IEEE publica ions emphasises ha AI based Sys em o Sys-
ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads is no longe a ool-
box o enginee s, bu a c oss-o ganisa ional communica ion sys-
em [2][3].
2.1 Why SoS li ecycle managemen is di e en
In SoS, dependencies and in e ac ions a ise ac oss sys em bound-
a ies. I is no enough o simply e sion you ”own” p oduc ; end-
o-end anspa ency is equi ed ac oss equi emen s, a chi ec u e,
beha io , in e aces, and con igu a ions ideally model-based igh
h ough o ope a ion and se ice. Resea ch om Camb idge (De-
sign Science, P oceedings o he Design Socie y) and uni e si y
eposi o ies shows ha MBSE ac s as a common language and ”b acke ”
be ween disciplines; PLM p o ides go e nance, da a con inui y,
AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads SammelA ikel EDMS,
and a ian logic; CAD CAE eeds geome y pa ame e s; PDM o -
ganizes design esul s; DT DI (digi al win h eads) ex end he chain
o ope a ion eedback [1][4], [6][14], [19], [22]. This is bo h a ech-
nical and o ganiza ional ask: oles, p ocesses, oolchains, and da a
so e eign y mus i oge he [3], [7], [8], [12]. MBSE as he back-
bone and i s ma u i y The li e a u e pain s a clea pic u e: MBSE
imp o es aceabili y, consis ency, and eusabili y, bu o en aces
adop ion hu dles (complexi y, ool compa ibili y, lack o e e ence
models) [18], [23], [24], [27], [29]. Cu en wo k di e en ia es be-
ween ypes o use (use isa ion o sys em models) and calls o
a ge ed euse ans o ma ion o sys em models in o domain mod-
els (e.g. CAD simula ion) ins ead o duplica e main enance [3]. A
he same ime, wo k is being done on language and on ology is-
sues: u he de elopmen o SysML, LML as a complemen a y on-
ology, as well as guidelines o model cu a ion and human cen-
e ed, in e ac i e model en i onmen s (IMCSE) [5], [19], [28], [30],
[31]. These s ands a e cen al o eliably ancho ing aceabili y
ac oss disciplines ( equi emen s o a chi ec u e o design o e i-
ica ion o ope a ion) a co e objec i e in SoS-LCM [3], [11], [15].
PLM PDM as a go e nance laye beyond a ”da a con aine ”.PLM
is e ol ing om a pu e documen bill o ma e ials con aine o a
knowledge and go e nance pla o m ac oss he li ecycle: p ocess
iews o enginee ing change, con igu a ion a iable managemen ,
igh s so e eign y, li ecycle s a us and app o als including links o
CAD CAE, equi emen s ools, ALM so wa e eposi o ies, and op-
e a ing sys ems (IoT se ice) [7], [10], [12], [25]. P ocess guidelines
o PLM implemen a ion a e pa icula ly c ucial in enginee ing-
o-o de (ETO) p og ams (Camb idge Design Science; McKend y
e al.), as any de ia ion becomes exponen ially mo e expensi e in
la e phases [7], [12]. In addi ion, Camb idge’s wo k on sus ain-
abili y in PLM emphasizes ha ecological social c i e ia should be
inco po a ed in o decisions a an ea ly s age in a model- and da a-
d i en manne , an inc easingly manda o y ield in he SoS con ex
[9].3D CAD design and sys em a chi ec u e b idge ins ead o is-
land:
A ecu ing inding: CAD a i ac s mus no only be linked o
he sys em model, bu also de i ed om i and ed back in o i (pa-
ame e s, wo king su aces, unc ional su aces, ole ances). Cam-
b idge con ibu ions show how pa ame ic wo king su aces and
con ac channel me hods can be in eg a ed in o MBSE-suppo ed
PLM app oaches o consis en ly implemen changes [10]. In mod-
ula p oduc amilies (e.g. ehicle cons uc ion), MBSE in modula
de elopmen makes c oss- ela ionships manageable because a chi-
ec u e a iance decisions a e explici ly modeled and synch onized
wi h CAD CAE [6].
3 The signi ican o AI based Sys em o Sys ems
Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
Wha makes AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen
o Digi al Th eads so signi ican in his new con ex is i s abili y o
s uc u e da a lows no only wi hin a p ojec , bu ac oss he en i e
li ecycle o a p oduc and i s a ian s. Sys ems enginee ing, in u n,
de ines he de elopmen p ocess as he in e ac ion o equi emen s,
a chi ec u e, design, in eg a ion, and alida ion [4]. Fo bo h dis-
ciplines o wo k oge he , AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle
Managemen o Digi al Th eads mus o m he backbone on which
models, documen s, es da a, and so wa e a i ac s a e secu ely
linked. F om documen o ela ionship. Fo a long ime, he clas-
sic documen o ien a ion was he bo leneck in enginee ing. A e-
qui emen was s o ed as a PDF in a olde , he CAD model in a
PDM sys em, he simula ion esul s in an Excel ile, and no one
knew which e sion was cu en . This led o edundancies, misun-
de s andings, and expensi e w ong decisions. In mode n AI based
Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads ap-
p oaches, he e o e, e e y piece o in o ma ion is iewed as an ob-
jec wi h ela ionships no longe as a s a ic documen , bu as a
node in a ne wo k o dependencies [5]. A equi emen is he e o e
no simply a ex bu is linked o he sys em a chi ec u e, unc ion
de ini ions, CAD pa ame e s, pa s lis s, and es cases. This ela-
ional hinking is wha sys ems enginee ing demands: end- o-end
aceabili y and change secu i y in all phases [6]. Resea ch by he
Camb idge Design Socie y shows ha companies ha consis en ly
build hei AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o
Digi al Th eads in an objec -o ien ed manne expe ience signi i-
can ly lowe change cos s and ewe in eg a ion p oblems [7]. IEEE
s udies on model-based sys ems enginee ing (MBSE) also come o
simila conclusions: wi hou a clean da a backbone, models can be
c ea ed, bu a e s ill isola ed and lose consis ency h oughou hei
li ecycle [8]. AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen
o Digi al Th eads and MBSE wo wo lds, one language In heo y,
MBSE is he me hodological supe s uc u e ha maps he en i e
de elopmen p ocess in a model-based manne . In p ac ice, how-
e e , MBSE o en ge s s uck in he pilo s age () because i lacks a
connec ion o p oduc i e ools. This is whe e he ue s eng h o
an in eg a ed AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen
o Digi al Th eads sys em comes in o play: i p o ides he echnical
in as uc u e o linking sys em models wi h eal p oduc and p o-
duc ion da a. One example is a esea ch collabo a ion be ween TU
Da ms ad and he Uni e si y o Camb idge, in which MBSE mod-
els a e synch onized di ec ly wi h CAD assemblies ia AI based
Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads in e -
aces. Changes in sys em a chi ec u e au oma ically igge no i i-
ca ions in he ele an disciplines om elec onics design o so -
wa e in eg a ion [9]. This c ea es a con inuous low o in o ma ion
in which he models communica e wi h each o he a he han iles.
This change is p o ound. The AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle
Managemen o Digi al Th eads is no longe a downs eam s o -
age loca ion, bu pa o he me hod i sel . Sys ems a e no longe
i s modeled and hen managed; hey a e c ea ed wi hin a ame-
wo k ha join ly maps models, da a, and p ocesses. People as he
connec ing elemen Despi e all he echnology, people emain he
decisi e ac o . S udies by [10] show ha he bigges obs acles o
he in oduc ion o AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Manage-
men o Digi al Th eads-based sys ems enginee ing a e no ech-
nical in na u e, bu cul u al: lack o accep ance, unclea esponsi-
bili ies, lack o p ocess discipline. An AI based Sys em o Sys ems
Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads sys em is only as good
as he people who keep i and he p ocesses ha a e ailo ed o
i . Success ul companies ely on anspa en ole models: sys em
enginee s handle he model s uc u e, AI based Sys em o Sys ems
Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads adminis a o s o da a
consis ency, and domain expe s o echnical con en . In addi ion,
aining is no seen as a cho e, bu as pa o p oduc de elopmen .
SammelA ikel EDMS, EDMS and PLM
Camb idge s udies on o ganiza ional psychology in enginee ing
show ha con inuous aining is c ucial o achie ing digi al con-
sis ency [11]. In eg a ion o a ian s and complexi y A key ea u e
o mode n AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o
Digi al Th eads sys ems is a ian and con igu a ion managemen .
In classic PDM sys ems, assemblies we e o en copied as soon as
a ian s we e needed, esul ing in uncon olled amoun s o da a.
In sys ems enginee ing, his is a al because each a ian c ea es
new dependencies. The AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Man-
agemen o Digi al Th eads pla o ms wi h a con igu a ion-based
app oach (con igu a ion managemen acco ding o ISO 10007 and
15288), on he o he hand, allows all a ian s o be de i ed om
a common da a expe [12]. Requi emen s, unc ions, and design
objec s a e con olled ia cha ac e is ic alues. This enables euse
and aceabili y. An example om he a ia ion indus y shows
ha consis en AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen
o Digi al Th eads a ian logic can educe he change e o pe
p oduc gene a ion by up o 40AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li e-
cycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads as a link o p oduc ion and
ope a ion In he ex ended li e cycle, he enginee ’s esponsibili y
does no end wi h he elease o he design da a. Ope a ion, se -
ice, and ield eedback a e inc easingly ed back in o de elopmen .
The concep o he digi al h ead connec s hese phases: om he
sys em model in ea ly de elopmen o he senso da a in ope a-
ion. The AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o
Digi al Th eads is whe e his eedback con e ges in a s uc u ed
manne . The combina ion o AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle
Managemen o Digi al Th eads da a and IoT in o ma ion enables
p e en i e main enance, a ian acking in use, and in o med de-
cisions o new p oduc gene a ions [14]. IEEE publica ions on dig-
i al win a chi ec u es emphasize ha wi hou AI based Sys em o
Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads-based con igu-
a ion managemen , no eliable digi al win can be c ea ed because
only AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al
Th eads knows he alid s a us o each indi idual sys em [15]. The
ole o s anda ds and in e ope abili y
4 In e na ional guidelines
Ano he ield o esea ch conce ns s anda diza ion. In e na ional
guidelines he ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288, 24748-1 and 42010 s anda ds
de ine how sys em li ecycles a e documen ed and a chi ec u e iews
a e desc ibed [16][17]. AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Man-
agemen o Digi al Th eads sys ems se e as he p ac ical imple-
men a ion o hese s anda ds by mapping he a i ac s equi ed
he e om equi emen s o e i ica ion eco ds in a s uc u ed o m.
A he same ime, wo k is being done on in e ope abili y be ween
ools. The IEEE P2660 se ies deals wi h he s anda diza ion o in e -
aces be ween MBSE, AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Man-
agemen o Digi al Th eads and ALM sys ems. Uni e si ies such
as S an o d and MIT a e esea ching seman ic media ion laye s
ha o e lay on ologies on enginee ing da a o enable machine-
eadable links [18]. The goal is clea : an ecosys em in which no
only humans, bu also sys ems can unde s and da a in con ex .
P ac ical examples and insigh s. The heo y is con incing, bu im-
plemen a ion is c ucial. A look a eal-wo ld indus ial p ojec s
shows ha he ansi ion om documen -based o model- and da a-
d i en wo k lows has h ee main p e equisi es:
1. Uni o m da a models: Companies ha un he e ogeneous AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
and CAD sys ems need a common seman ic ounda ion.
2. P ocess discipline: E e y change mus be documen ed in a
aceable manne ; e e y equi emen mus ha e a known o igin
and p oo o ul illmen .
3. Top managemen suppo : Wi hou s a egic ancho ing, AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
is pe cei ed as a pu e IT p ojec .
A widely ci ed Camb idge case s udy in mechanical enginee -
ing shows ha he g ea es p og ess is achie ed when AI based
Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads imple-
men a ion and p ocess op imiza ion a e conside ed oge he no
sequen ially [19]. Empi ical s udies in IEEE T ansac ions on En-
ginee ing Managemen also con i m ha he combina ion o he
MBSE me hod and AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Manage-
men o Digi al Th eads go e nance educes de elopmen imes,
imp o es aceabili y, and s eng hens quali y cul u e [20].
4.1 Sus ainabili y, ci cula i y and compliance
in SoS
New wo k ancho s sus ainabili y c i e ia in PLM MBSE: ma e ial
and ene gy aspec s, epa abili y, second li e, ci cula s a egies,
and egula o y equi emen s (e.g. documen a ion obliga ions) a e
o be eco ded in a model-based manne and e alua ed along he
digi al h ead o he [9], [36]. Olde Camb idge a icles e e ea ly
on o he shi om ”was e managemen ” o genuine li ecycle man-
agemen , now mo e ele an han e e in SoS [13]. Wha does his
mean speci ically o you an hology con ibu ion No. 1? Based on
his li e a u e, you edi o ial can make ou hings clea :
1. Why classic li ecycle hinking is no longe su icien : SoS cha -
ac e is ics, dis ibu ed owne ship, eme gence wi h s anda ds oun-
da ion 15288 24748-1 1471 as he common h ead [1], [15][17].
2. How MBSE+PLM b idge he gap: Model-based equi emen s
a chi ec u es as a ”single sou ce o u h”; PLM as he go e nance
con igu a ion backbone; CAD 3D as a de i ed eedback iew [3],
[6][8], [10][12].
3. How he digi al win belongs in he li ecycle: ea ly modeling,
p o iding eliable con igu a ion and ope a ing da a [4], [11], [22].
4. How o ge s a ed o ganiza ionally: clea owne ship, e e -
enced use cases, pilo ing, model cu a ion, aining lanked by ac-
ion esea ch wi h uni e si y pa ne s [7], [12], [28], [31], [34],
[35].
In mode n sys ems enginee ing, AI based Sys em o Sys ems
Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads is much mo e han a
da abase. I is he o ganiza ional and echnical amewo k ha en-
su es ha in o ma ion is no los bu de elops and en iches i sel
h oughou he li e cycle. In an en i onmen whe e p oduc s be-
come ne wo ked sys ems and sys ems become ecosys ems, his
amewo k is indispensable.The second pa ocuses on cu en
lines o esea ch: seman ic da a models, AI-suppo ed da a in eg a-
ion, sus ainabili y in AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Man-
agemen o Digi al Th eads, digi al wins in ope a ion, and he
AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads SammelA ikel EDMS,
ques ion o wha u u e AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Man-
agemen o Digi al Th eads a chi ec u es mus look like o su i e
as he ”backbone” in eal Sys em o Sys ems scena ios. Looking a
de elopmen s o e he las en yea s, AI based Sys em o Sys ems
Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads sys ems a e inc easingly
mo ing away om enginee ing IT and de eloping in o s a egic
pla o ms o he en i e alue chain. They a e no longe jus a ool
o designe s, bu he ounda ion o an in eg a ed, da a-d i en en-
e p ise. This change has eno mous consequences, no only o p o-
cesses bu also o he way companies hink, make decisions, and
ake esponsibili y o he en i e li e cycle. AI based Sys em o Sys-
ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads as an enable o he
digi al win A key d i e o his de elopmen is he concep o he
digi al win. Al hough he e m is o en used in la iona y in pub-
lic discou se, i has a e y p ecise meaning in enginee ing science:
i desc ibes he s uc u ed image o a physical sys em ha s ays
synch onized wi h i s eal coun e pa h oughou i s en i e li e
cycle. Howe e , his canno be implemen ed wi hou a s ong AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
backbone. The digi al win is ed om a a ie y o sou ces CAD ge-
ome ies, MBSE models, simula ion da a, p oduc ion pa ame e s,
ield da a om senso s, and se ice eedback. Only when his in o -
ma ion is managed consis en ly on a common AI based Sys em o
Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al h eads can a obus and
us wo hy image be c ea ed [21]. The Massachuse s Ins i u e o
Technology desc ibes his ela ionship as a ”closed-loop li ecycle”:
The AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al
Th eads c ea es he logical amewo k ha connec s de elopmen
and ope a ional da a, enabling lea ning ac oss gene a ions [22].
S udies om he IEEE en i onmen show ha companies wi h AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al h ead-
based digi al wins no only achie e as e de elopmen cycles, bu
also se signi ican ly be e aceabili y o equi emen s h ough o
ope a ion [23]. This undamen ally changes he na u e o p oduc
de elopmen : ins ead o linea ans e s be ween depa men s, a
pe manen bidi ec ional da a low is c ea ed. Seman ic in eg a ion
he s ep om da a o meaning While echnical ne wo king is now
well ad anced, seman ic in eg a ion is s ill in i s in ancy. I is no
enough o simply ans e da a; i mus also be unde s ood. Di e -
en disciplines speak di e en ”languages” in hei ools: a CAD
sys em knows geome ies, a AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle
Managemen o Digi al Th eads sys em knows p oduc s uc u es,
an MBSE model knows sys em unc ions, and ERP calcula es in
pa s lis s and cos s. The e o e, esea ch g oups a S an o d Uni-
e si y and he Uni e si y o Camb idge a e wo king on on olo-
gies ha b idge he seman ic gap be ween hese wo lds [24]. The
aim is o machines o ecognize he con ex ual ela ionship: an
”assembly” in CAD is seman ically he same objec as a ”compo-
nen elemen ” in an AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Man-
agemen o Digi al Th eads and a ”physical ins ance” in he digi al
win. These seman ic mappings enable sys ems o exchange in o -
ma ion in a con ex -sensi i e manne a s ep owa ds ue in e op-
e abili y [25]. IEEE publica ions on sys em on ology (IEEE P2906)
emphasize ha a seman ically clean da a model is a p e equisi e
o AI-suppo ed analyzes and au oma ed decision suppo [26].
Wi hou seman ic consis ency, da a can low, bu i does no make
sense. The AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o
Digi al Th eads hus becomes a b idge be ween syn ax and mean-
ing i o ganizes no only iles, bu also knowledge abou he sys-
em. A i icial in elligence in AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle
Managemen o Digi al Th eads eali y ins ead o hype In ecen
yea s, a new ield o esea ch has appea ed ha in es iga es how
AI me hods can be used in AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle
Managemen o Digi al Th eads. Con a y o public deba e, his is
no abou cha bo s o gene a i e ools, bu abou conc e e applica-
ions: au oma ed classi ica ion o componen s, anomaly de ec ion
in da a lows, p edic ion o main enance in e als, o seman ic de-
ec ion o duplica es in da abases [27]. Camb idge s udies show
ha machine lea ning has po en ial whe e da a quali y and consis-
ency a e al eady high. AI canno b ing o de o chaos bu i can
e eal pa e ns ha would be o e looked in human analysis [28].
The combina ion o MBSE models wi h AI based analysis me hods
is pa icula ly exci ing: when a sys em model is ancho ed in AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
s uc u es, aining da a om simula ion and ield obse a ion can
help o unde s and sys em beha io and imp o e design decisions
[29]. Sus ainabili y as a Da a low
•Thesis 1: SoS-LCM equi es a model and da a-d i en b acke ,
MBSE o s uc u e beha io in e aces, PLM o go e nance
con igu a ion; CAD 3D and simula ion a e synch onized in-
s ead o being main ained in isola ion [3], [6][8], [10][12],
[15], [16].
•Thesis 2: S anda ds p o ide s abili y du ing adap a ion: s uc-
u e oles, miles ones, a i ac s, and iews independen ly o
ool b ands [15][17], [21], [26].
•Thesis 3: Digi al wins a e e ec i e when based on sys em
models and PLM con igu a ions; his is he only way o en-
su e consis ency in changes, a ian s, and ield da a [4], [11],
[20], [22].
•Thesis 4: Adop ion succeeds wi h pilo cases, e e ence a -
chi ec u es, model cu a ion, and ac ion esea ch loops; ain-
ing and go e nance a e jus as impo an as ools [7], [12],
[28], [31], [34], [35].
end e ba im
5 Conclusion
The close in eg a ion o AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Man-
agemen o Digi al Th eads and sys ems enginee ing is p o oundly
changing indus ial p ac ice. I is o cing companies o hink abou
no only ools bu also esponsibili y, quali y, and sus ainabili y.
The AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi-
al Th eads is hus becoming a symbol o a new enginee ing cul-
u e one ha sees ne wo king no as a dis up ion, bu as a p e-
equisi e. The backbone o his cul u e is he low o da a ha c e-
a es us . They o m he basis o making complex sys ems man-
ageable oday and o gene a ions o come. [40] In mode n p od-
uc de elopmen , p oduc li ecycle managemen (AI based Sys em
o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads) ac s as he
cen al backbone o sys ems enginee ing by making he inc eas-
ing complexi y o in e disciplina y de elopmen p ocesses man-
ageable and ensu ing he consis ency o echnical da a h oughou
he en i e p oduc li ecycle. This link be ween CAD and AI based
SammelA ikel EDMS, EDMS and PLM
Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads is he
basis o consis en da a lows be ween mechanics, elec onics, and
so wa e [43][44]. This link be ween CAD and AI based Sys em o
Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads is he i s s ep
owa ds a con inuous digi al p ocess chain in which he depen-
dencies be ween design pa ame e s, sys em models, and p oduc
da a become anspa en and aceable [45][46]. [47] In an indus-
ialized en i onmen , Salehi showed ha he in eg a ion o such
pa ame ic-associa i e me hods in o he AI based Sys em Me hod-
ical embedding o hese sys ems enables companies o dynami-
cally link sys em models wi h p oduc da a, signi ican ly imp o -
ing he low o in o ma ion om he ini ial concep phase h ough
o ope a ion [48][49]. The concep o Sys em D i en P oduc De-
elopmen (SDPD) is gaining impo ance he e, which Salehi and
Bu seg desc ibe as a b idge be ween classic AI based Sys em o
Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads p ocesses and
model-based sys ems enginee ing (MBSE) [50][51]. SDPD ancho s
sys em models as a cen al knowledge base in he AI based Sys-
em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads, linking
equi emen s, unc ions, and physical implemen a ions in a con-
sis en da a model [52][53]. [54] Ano he key aspec is he use
o SysML as a s anda dized language o desc ibe complex mecha-
onic sys ems. Salehi, Taha, and Schade show how SysML mod-
els can be embedded in AI based Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen
o Digi al Th eads en i onmen s o s anda dize da a exchange be-
ween enginee ing disciplines [55][56]. As a esul , AI based Sys-
em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads is no
longe unde s ood me ely as a documen managemen sys em, bu
as a seman ically ne wo ked in o ma ion sys em ha in eg a es
sys em a chi ec u es, pa ame e s, simula ion esul s, and es da a.
The in oduc ion o he Munich Agile MBSE Concep (MAGIC)
[57][58] is a change in basic assump ions in his ega d: agile me h-
ods in he MBSE en i onmen sho en change cycles and accele -
a e eedback be ween AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Man-
agemen o Digi al Th eads da a and sys em models. This suppo s
companies in he de elopmen o digi al p oduc s and cybe -physical
sys ems [59]. [60] Applica ion examples ange om he de elop-
men o au onomous d i ing sys ems [61] and he design o u -
ban ai mobili y solu ions [62] o he in eg a ion o IoT senso ne -
wo ks in o AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o
Digi al h ead-suppo ed de elopmen p ocesses [63]. Da a lows
hus become a key success ac o as hey o m he basis o simu-
la ion, e i ica ion, and con inuous imp o emen . The connec ion
be ween physical and digi al wo lds ia digi al wins is s uc u ed
by he AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi-
al Th eads, which documen s all changes, e sions, and con igu a-
ions as a da a backbone [64]. [65] Wi h inc easing digi aliza ion,
he issue o da a secu i y and in eg i y also is in ocus. In se e al
pape s, Salehi demons a ed he po en ial o blockchain echnol-
ogy o secu ing enginee ing da a p ocesses in he con ex o AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
[66][67]. Blockchain-based da a chains allow changes o sys em
models and con igu a ion iles o be aced anspa en ly, which
is pa icula ly impo an o sa e y-c i ical applica ions, such as in
he au omo i e o a ia ion sec o s. The combina ion o blockchain
and AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al
Th eads hus c ea es a us wo hy digi al ecosys em ha p e en s
manipula ion and gua an ies aceabili y h oughou he p oduc
li ecycle. [In addi ion, Salehi desc ibes he use o AI me hods and
syn he ic da a se s o gene a e es and aining da a in he con-
ex o CAD and CNC p ocesses. These da a-d i en app oaches ex-
end AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al
Th eads sys ems wi h in elligen eedback loops ha enable con-
inuous lea ning h oughou he p oduc li ecycle. In his way, AI
based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Managemen o Digi al Th eads
becomes an ac i e pa o sys em enginee ing no jus as a s o age
medium, bu as a da a analysis pla o m. [72] Finally, ecen wo k
on he in eg a ion o cen alized ehicle a chi ec u es and digi al
wins shows ha AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecycle Manage-
men o Digi al Th eads sys ems will no longe be me e da a man-
age s in he u u e, bu a he in eg a i e con ol cen e s o com-
plex sys em landscapes. The abili y o make da a lows consis en ,
aceable, and in e ope able is inc easingly deciding he success o
echnical sys ems. This makes AI based Sys em o Sys ems Li ecy-
cle Managemen o Digi al Th eads he backbone o mode n sys-
ems enginee ing a backbone ha connec s disciplines, s uc u es
in o ma ion lows, and accele a es inno a ion.
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