Chasing Symptoms, Missing Causes: Modelling Parallel Engineering Activities in CPS Development with the Advanced System Triple Approach

In cross-disciplinary engineering, the development of complex systems frequently exhibit unexpected behavior because of failures caused by inconsistency situations where interacting engineering artifacts reflect divergent systems states. Although the phenomenon of inconsistency is acknowledged in literature, there is limited empirical research on its emergence, propagation, and resolution within engineering design processes. This paper presents findings from a case study in the field of autonomous robotics, where we observed a cross-disciplinary development team during synthesis and analysis activities. Our investigation focused on identifying when and how inconsistencies arise and propagate across different engineering domains. Building on these insights, we propose a novel modeling approach that captures inconsistency propagation applying the advanced system triple: the system of objectives, the operation system, and the system of objects. By tracing the causes and propagation of inconsistencies across these three systems, we offer a more detailed approach to model cross-disciplinary collaboration that enhances the understanding of critical transition points in the design process. Our contribution provides a conceptual model and also practical insights for engineering practitioners and researchers.