Manufacturer-Supplier Requirements Synchronization Using Exchange Containers and Multi-Level Systems

Manufacturer-supplier requirements synchronization, i.e. the systematic and repeated exchange of requirements between manufacturer and supplier, is of high practical relevance but is proving difficult in industrial practice. We motivate the problem and discuss the technical and methodological shortcomings of current practices based on document generation and standardized exchange formats. We then present and discuss a new solution for manufacturer-supplier requirements synchronization based on the use of exchange containers and multi-level requirements systems. The solution is illustrated by an implementation in the tool Rational DOORS using RIF exchange and the DOORS-MuLe extension.