ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 — System Life Cycle Processes
How ISO 15288 life cycle processes map to the NexoGraph metamodel structure.
ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023 (Systems and software engineering — System life cycle processes) defines the processes used to conceive, develop, produce, operate, maintain, and dispose of systems. It is the primary life cycle standard for complex systems engineering and forms the structural backbone of the NexoGraph metamodel.
Process Groups
ISO 15288 organizes its processes into four groups:
| Group | Focus |
|---|---|
| Agreement | Acquisition and supply agreements with external parties |
| Organizational Project-Enabling | Managing infrastructure, portfolio, quality, and knowledge |
| Technical | The engineering work: defining needs, designing, building, verifying |
| Project | Planning, assessment, control, and decision management |
NexoGraph primarily maps to the Technical process group, specifically the processes that produce structured artefacts.
Key Technical Processes
Stakeholder Needs and Requirements Definition (6.4.4)
Elicits and establishes stakeholder needs, constraints, and measures of effectiveness. Produces Stakeholder Requirements.
NexoGraph: StakeholderNeed entities in the Definition layer implement this process output. The Stakeholder entity records who the requirement source is.
System Requirements Definition (6.4.5)
Transforms stakeholder requirements into system requirements that can be allocated to system elements.
NexoGraph: Requirement entities implement system-level requirements. Reference relations to StakeholderNeed maintain the upward traceability mandated by the standard.
Architecture Definition (6.4.6)
Develops architecture descriptions — views, viewpoints, and models — that express how the system satisfies requirements.
NexoGraph: The Package hierarchy and architectural relations between entities support architectural decomposition. ISO 42010 (the companion architecture standard) is also implemented here — see the ISO 42010 page.
Life Cycle Stages
ISO 15288 defines six life cycle stages. The NexoGraph metamodel lifecycle service governs entity state transitions — draft, review, approved, deprecated — which map to the progression through these stages.