Media-assisted product and process requirements traceability in supply chains

Abstract

Requirements engineering for technical systems involves an intricate interplay of conceptual synthesis of alternative requirements and design configurations, preliminary impact analysis of these alternatives using complex simulations and multimedia visualizations, and human decision-making based on goal trade-offs. Requirements traceability in such settings must be both product- and process-oriented: it must enable an efficient media-based comparison of product alternatives from the current project or related experiences, and it must facilitate reuse of analysis process experiences to avoid unnecessary repetition of negative experiences. We study these problems in a large interdisciplinary project whose aim it is to optimize the innovation supply chains linking chemical engineering, plastics engineering, and application goals e.g. in the automotive industry.