Seamless Method- and Model-based Software and Systems Engineering

Abstract

Today engineering software intensive systems is still more or less handicraft or at most at the level of manufacturing. Many steps are done ad-hoc and not in a fully systematic way. Applied methods, if any, are not scientifically justified, not justified by empirical data and as a result carrying out large software projects still is an adventure. However, there is no reason why the development of software intensive systems cannot be done in the future with the same precision and scientific rigor as in established engineering disciplines. To do that, however, a number of scientific and engineering challenges have to be mastered. The first one aims at a deep understanding of the essentials of carrying out such projects, which includes appropriate models and effective management methods. What is needed is a portfolio of models and methods coming together with a comprehensive support by tools as well as deep insights into the obstacles of developing software intensive systems and a portfolio of established and proven techniques and methods with clear profiles and rules that indicate when which method is ready for application. In the following we argue that there is scientific evidence and enough research results so far to be confident that solid engineering of software intensive systems can be achieved in the future. However, yet quite a number of scientific research problems have to be solved.