Manage Interdisciplinarity Based on Requirements Traceability: A Graph-Based Tool Support for Requirements Traceability

Abstract

Mechatronic products become increasingly complex. A core aspect is that the involved disciplines are highly interdependent. Hence, the interdisciplinary coordination of discipline-spanning interfaces is a core issue for successful development. This contribution addresses the need for a better coordination in interdisciplinary development projects. Therefore, this contribution seizes a structured method to coordinate interdisciplinary issues, based on requirements traceability. The core aspect of the method is the connection of development artifacts in a graph based model: Products, functions, components, requirements, the organizational structure and their links are visualized. A set of rules is implemented to analyze the system in order derive coordination needs and affected objects and stakeholders. This method is successfully implemented into a software tool. The interdisciplinary coordination should be supported by analyses that quickly identify and visualize connections among these elements. For a further proof of feasibility, the tool was successfully applied in a semi-academic context. This evaluation case reveals further potential in the field of automated model generation.