A framework to foster traceability of E/E artifacts during automotive development in consideration of model-based systems engineering within distributed engineering collaboration by means of the Blockchain

The constantly increasing complexity in automotive development requires data models, processes, and tools to address and handle this complexity by the documentation of information artifacts and their relationships to create traceability. Particularly, electrics/electronics (E/E) development including software and the corresponding information artifacts which are exchanged between engineering partners and have a high reciprocal dependency are crucial for traceability.

The developed data model addresses peculiarities of model-based systems engineering (MBSE) in alignment with product data management (PDM). The process model implements enhanced alignment during systems engineering through automized synchronization of changes across IT systems and a consensus mechanism to identify discrepancies as early as possible.

As a technological solution, the Blockchain technology is implemented and serves as a product lifecycle management (PLM) backbone intermediating among multiple engineering partners’ IT systems. Connecting the corresponding IT systems and tools within a company as well as providing interfaces to external engineering partners, the PLM Blockchain backbone fosters internal and external traceability.