1. Digital Artifacts and the Need for Portability
Phil Zimmerman
ODASD(SE) Deputy Director
Engineering Tools and Environments
NDIA M&S Subcommittee Workshop August 13, 2018

2. Digital Engineering Strategy
Basic capabilities needed by Services and Agencies to begin use of digital engineering practices
Objective
Guide the planning, development, and implementation of digital engineering across the services and agencies
Expected Impact
Increase technical cohesion and awareness of system in lifecycle activities
Reform the Department’s business practices for greater performance and agility
Coordination
Approved by USD(R&E), DASD(SE), and each Service

3. Digital Engineering Strategy: Five Goals
Model is different from simulation
Model is data, process and/or algorithm
Formalize the development, integration and use of models to inform enterprise and program decision making. The first goal establishes the use of federated models as an integral part of planning, engineering, and eventually acquisition activities. This will support consistent analysis and decision making throughout all activities in the lifecycle for programs and across the enterprise.
Provide an enduring authoritative source of truth. This goal moves the primary means of communication from documents to digital models. This enables access, management, evolution, analysis use and distribution of information from a common set of digital models. As a result, authorized stakeholders have access to current authoritative, consistent digital models and data over the lifecycle of each program.
Incorporate technological innovation to improve the engineering practice. This goal extends beyond the traditional model-based approaches to incorporate advancements in technology. These advancements provide revolutionary capabilities that will transform engineering activities and enable a digitally connected end-to-end enterprise to realize warfighting capability.
Establish a supporting infrastructure and environment to perform activities, collaborate and communicate across stakeholders. This goal ensures the establishment of a robust infrastructure and environment to support the Digital Engineering artifacts products and goals. It incorporates advanced MPTs,  as well as collaborative trusted systems that enforces protection of intellectual property and cybersecurity. In addition, the infrastructure and environment will be reinforced by policy, guidance, and standards that will be communicated across all stakeholders.
Transform a culture and workforce that adopts and supports Digital Engineering across the lifecycle. The final goal takes a systematic approach based on change management and strategic communications’ best practices to lead the change, and support the organization’s culture and workforces’ transition to and adoption of Digital Engineering. 
Modernizes how we design, operate, and sustain capabilities to outpace our adversaries

4. Digital Engineering Relationships
Digital Engineering Strategy
User selected and integrated based on outcome needed
(DoD) Modeling and Simulation Coordination Office (DMSCO)
Traditional Mod/Sim Solutions
Physics-based /
Engineering
Design Tools
Computational Research and Engineering Acquisition Tools and Environments (CREATE)
Supporting tools:
(Large Tradespace Analytics datasets,
Analysis of Alternatives, Virtual Prototyping
Evaluation, etc.)
World-class
Computational
Resources (High Performance Computing, Software,
Networking
Other Artifacts and Initiatives (e.g. Infrastructure
that scales to realistic conditions as required
The Digital Engineering Ecosystem is defined as the interconnected infrastructure, environment, and methodology (process, methods, and tools) used to store, access, analyze, and visualize evolving systems' data and models to address the needs of the stakeholders. The shift toward a digital engineering ecosystem will transform the DoD enterprise and help to improve affordability, agility, quality and efficiency
DoD will leverage and mature existing models, tools, infrastructures and environments to help realize the vision for Digital Engineering. New infrastructures, environments, methods, processes and tools will be required as well. Migrating to a digital engineering ecosystem does not remove the responsibility from the users to select, manage, govern, interpret and ultimately make decisions from model based approaches, methods and processes.
A sample list of models, tools, infrastructures and environments that will help support the Digital Engineering Ecosystem include:
-Traditional Modeling and Simulation Solutions
- Computational Research and Engineering Acquisition Tools and Environments (CREATE): Physics Based Modeling
- Engineered Resilient Systems (ERS): Tradespace Analytics, AoA, Integrated Capability/Workflow, Requirements Generation, Virtual Prototyping & Evaluation
- High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) - World-class Computational Resources, Software, Networking, practices
- Computational Environment for Digital Engineering (CEDE) (Proposed) - Infrastructure that 1) scales to complex / realistic conditions 2) connects government & industry. Automated integration that makes experiment planning / design / setup costs affordable.
Other: There are numerous other tools, infrastructures and environments that will help support the Digital Engineering Ecosystem
Digital Engineering is a key foundational element in transforming the DoD enterprise and sets the stage for solving problems and providing capabilities that go beyond previous limitations to deliver greater value, insights, and new solutions that were not possible even a few years ago.

5. Learning from Other Fields Exchanging Information Across the Lifecycle and Disciplines
Architecture, Construction, & Facilities Disciplines
From Light Tables to Building Information Modeling (BIM)
How do we digitally represent whole systems across its lifecycle and the disciplines?
Across the Facility Lifespan
Product Engineering Disciplines
From Paper Drawings to Computer Aided Technologies (CAx)
Across the Product Lifecycle
System Development Disciplines
From Static System Diagrams to Digital Representations of whole systems
Across the System Lifecycle

6. Let Us Begin a Dialogue on Digital Artifacts
We start with a lot of complex technical stuff
We finish with stuff stakeholders understand
We organize and evolve it in ways that make sense
How do we make this happen?

7. Transforming Digital Artifacts to Stakeholder Wisdom
Digital Presentation Definition
Digital Presentation
Model Elements
Data Records
Assembling Digital Artifacts
Geometric Primitives
Digital Presentation Definition
A construct that defines the procedures to select, compile, and analyze digital artifacts to create digital engineering content
Digital Presentation
The user interfaces that presents digital engineering content to serve stakeholders' unique needs
Video Frames

8. So What Does Portability Mean in This Context?
Let’s get on with it:
Pick one? Prioritize?
Tool to tool interoperability?
Data transfer?
Data identification and access?
Other types of data transactions?
Other food for thought?
Where do standards fit?
What is the part for tool vendors? Tool users?
What is the role of ontologies? Taxonomies? Definitions?
What are the bounds of applicability?
What activities are relevant to information sharing?
How do we accomplish notification?
Which ‘activity’, in ‘activity sharing’ initiates the transaction?
How is the transferred item secured?
How do you know?
Who’s responsibility it is?
What gets curated? Where?
Let’s change the formula:
Who drives the change?

9. Systems Engineering: Critical to Defense Acquisition
Defense Innovation Marketplace
DASD, Systems Engineering

10. For Additional Information
Digital Engineering website:
Philomena Zimmerman
ODASD, Systems Engineering |