The Need for a Shared Vocabulary of Digital Engineering

In recent years, many organizations have embraced digital engineering (DE) as a strategy for enhancing integration and interoperability across the system lifecycle. However, research into the development of DE practices has shown that a lack of consensus on terminology can hinder progress. Common terms such as ‘digital thread’, ‘digital twin’, and ‘authoritative source of truth’ are defined inconsistently across domains and organizations, creating friction in digital information exchange. Automated, efficient information exchange requires a precise lexicon to facilitate understanding for humans and machines. The INCOSE Digital Engineering Information Exchange (DEIX) Working Group is working to address this challenge by developing a formal ontology of DE concepts. This article addresses some of the key terminology challenges facing DE practitioners and describes how a machine-readable ontology can help to create a shared understanding of DE and enable more effective implementation of DE practices.