Keywords
lifecycle management
MBSE
PLM
CAD/CAE
Digital Thread
Digital Twin
variant and configuration management
How to Cite
Abstract
The development of technical products is undergoing radical change: instead of clearly defined projects with fixed start and end points, today's market is dominated by living systems whose value only unfolds during operation, through updates and over generations. This article traces the shift ‘from project to product’ and situates it in system system of Systems Lifecycle Management (SLM) as a further development of classic PLM approaches. Agility is not understood as a set of methods, but as an attitude: iterative learning, early and continuous feedback, responsibility in interdisciplinary, self-organised teams embedded in a sustainable, modular architecture. On this basis, changes can be made in a targeted and controlled manner instead of leaving them to chance. Standards such as ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 and current guidelines on ‘systems engineering agility’ support a view of the entire life cycle and emphasise feedback from operation and use. Technologically, agility only becomes practicable through the digital thread, end-to-end data models, MBSE and digital twins; it shortens feedback loops, makes decisions traceable and increases the ability to change without compromising quality. At the same time, limitations remain apparent: safety-critical domains, insufficiently modular architectures, cultural inertia and regulatory compliance requirements call for a conscious translation of agile principles rather than a 1:1 transfer from the software world. Practical examples such as ASEL-CM, system-driven product development, or centralised vehicle architectures show how continuous validation, platform strategies, and data-based governance make the leap possible. The common thread: stability comes from architecture, dynamism from working methods the two belong together. Those who understand SLM as a learning system closely link development, operation and service, use data as a source of knowledge and organise responsibility along the product, not along projects. In this way, the life cycle is transformed from a cost factor into a competitive advantage.
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