Decision Analysis Data Model for Digital Engineering Decision Management

Decision management is the systems engineering life cycle process for making program/system decisions. The purpose of the decision management process is: “…to provide a structured, analytical framework for objectively identifying, characterizing and evaluating a set of alternatives for a decision at any point in the life cycle and select the most beneficial course of action”. Systems engineers and systems analysts need to inform decisions in a digital engineering environment. This paper describes a Decision Analysis Data Model (DADM) developed in model-based systems engineering software to provide the process, methods, models, and data to support decision management. DADM can support digital engineering for waterfall, spiral, and agile development processes. This paper describes the decision management processes and provides the definition of the data elements. DADM is based on ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288, the INCOSE SE Handbook, the SE Body of Knowledge, the Data Management Body of Knowledge, systems engineering textbooks, and journal articles. The DADM was developed to establish a decision management process and data definitions that organizations and programs can tailor for their system life cycles and processes. The DADM can also be used to assess organizational processes and decision quality.