Communication support for systems engineering – process modelling and animation with APRIL

The most important task in the early stages of systems engineering is the building of models which capture the relevant knowledge of a given application domain. A working communication with domain experts who possess this knowledge is crucial, since misunderstandings almost always lead to expensive system redesigns in later development stages. In this context, especially the modelling of systems behaviour is a challenging problem. While formally based languages in this area are often too difficult to understand for domain experts, more informal languages frequently lack animation support for dynamic process visualizations. Out of this, an easy to understand and semi-formal visual modelling language which allows for process animations is needed in order to improve communication in systems engineering. If the use of such a language leads to an earlier identification of conceptualization flaws, the overall costs of systems development may be significantly reduced.As an attempt into this direction, the APRIL process modelling language is introduced in this article together with two complementary animation concepts as well as the prototype of a supporting tool.