March 3, 2011 -- The introduction of Model-Based Design should align with a required process change, which may be the adoption of standards such as AUTOSAR, ISO 26262, and DO-178C, or the development of disruptive technologies such as hybrid electric vehicles, wind power systems, or a continuous-improvement initiative.

Before embarking on the transition to Model-Based Design, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the inefficiency and waste in the current process and organization. Metrics need to be established to set goals and quantify inefficiency to determine the focus areas, specific strategies, and tools to adopt.

Part 1 of this series discussed the challenges and organizational impact of adopting Model-Based Design.

Part 3 looks at the software development process and tool migration plan (requirements and the design phase) when implementing Model-Based Design.

By Eric Dillaber, Larry Kendrick, Wensi Jin, and Vinod Reddy. (The authors are with MathWorks, Inc.)