The Use of Knowledge Libraries and ECSS Standards in Requirement Writing for the Space Industry

Introduction

• Host: Cecilia
• Presenter: Aventis, Chief Operating Officer at The Reuse Company (TRC)
• Webinar Topic: How to write requirements in the space industry using a knowledge library based on ECSS standards.
• Webinar Structure:
  1. Company and presenter introduction
  2. Introduction to ECSS standards
  3. How to use the knowledge library
  4. Demonstration
  5. Q&A

About The Reuse Company (TRC)

• Founded: 1999
• Origin: Spinoff from a university in Madrid by systems and software engineers.
• Headquarters: Madrid, with offices in London and Stockholm.
• Mission: Knowledge-centric approach to leverage engineering activities for customers.
• Research & Innovation: 10% of revenues dedicated to R&D; actively involved in large European research projects.
• Clients: Aerospace, defense, energy, automation, healthcare industries.

Presenter: Jose

• Role: Chief Operating Officer
• Experience: Product manager for the requirements suite tools for over five years.
• Certifications: INCOSE CSEP
• Involvement: Member of the Spanish chapter of INCOSE, contributor to the INCOSE guide for writing requirements.

Overview of ECSS Standards

• What is ECSS: European Cooperation for Space Standardization.
  • Founded: 1996
  • Objective: Develop a coherent single set of user-friendly standards for European space activities.
• Components: Standards, handbooks, technical memoranda.
• Disciplines Covered:
  • Project Management
  • Product Assurance
  • Engineering of Space
  • Sustainability

Knowledge Library

• Purpose: Enhance the way requirements are written in alignment with ECSS standards.
• Structure: Combination of knowledge items at different levels of abstraction.
  1. Vocabulary and Glossary: Terms and definitions for consistent term usage.
  2. Conceptual Model: Linking terms together; clusters based on meaning/nature.
  3. Patterns: Templates or grammar for requirement writing.
  4. Formalization: Convert natural language to semantic graphs for machine interpretation.
  5. Reasoning: Assisting in writing better requirements, verifying consistency, etc.
• Example:
  • Pattern Construction: A template including system name, environmental variable, unit, etc.
  • Formalization: Transforming text into semantic graphs.
  • Reasoning: Consistency checking, e.g., temperature range validation.

ECSS Content in Knowledge Library

• Glossary (ECSS-ST-A-1C): Thousands of terms and definitions for consistent terminology.
• Conceptual Model: Linking and clustering terms for semantic connections.
• ECSS Standards for Technical Document Specification (10-06C):
  • Types of requirements
  • Verbal forms and restrictions on keywords
  • Quality rules (e.g., ambiguity, uniqueness, completeness)
• Quality Characteristics:
  • Performance: Avoid imprecise quantifiers.
  • Justification: Detect entity responsible for requirements.
  • Ambiguity: Avoid passive/conditional voice, inconsistent measurement units.
  • Uniqueness: Identify overlapping requirements.
  • Identifiability: Consistent subject naming and unique identifiers.
  • Completeness: Patterns ensuring complete requirements.
  • Verification: Detect verification attributes.
  • Tolerance: Ensuring parameters have expected values or tolerances.

Demonstration

1. Verification Studio Tool
   • Features: Connect to requirement databases (e.g., IBM DOORS), assess quality using defined rules.
   • Process: Setup rules and metrics, analyze requirements, view quality assessment results.
   • Customization: Tailor rules and thresholds for specific needs.
2. Authoring Tool
   • Features: Integration with IBM DOORS, aids in writing requirements using patterns and glossary.
   • Process: Highlight errors, suggest terms, ensure consistency, and uniqueness.
   • Example Use Cases: Writing requirements, checking consistency, and verifying against glossary terms.

Future Steps

• Glossary Updates: Include more terms and relationships.
• Verification Standards: Implement entities from verification standards and handbooks.
• Advanced Features: Semantic search, advanced traceability, model generation from text.

Q&A Highlights

• Access to Standards: Available at ecss.nl after registration.
• Analysis of Real ECSS Standards: Not performed due to the method of requirement writing in ECSS standards.
• Formalization Language (SRL): Proprietary language based on semantic graphs used for machine interpretation.
• Effectiveness Without Patterns: Quality rules can still be effective without using patterns.

Conclusion

• Contact: For more information or questions, email [email protected] or visit reusecompany.com.
• Thank You Message: Appreciate participation and future engagement.