System architecture is a key driver in defining a system's form and function. The Object-Process Methodology (OPM) integrates system function, structure, and behavior in one model for the study of system architectures. While the methodology eliminates the challenges of managing multiple views of a system architecture, it is a descriptive approach and does not explicitly address the life cycle properties (-ilities) of a system. Thus, the quality of architecture developed depends on the experience and skill level of its architect. Integrating OPM with other, more prescriptive, architecting methodologies may address this gap. In particular, Attribute Driven Design (ADD) is an approach widely used in software-centric applications for generating architectures with desirable life cycle properties. In this paper, we integrate OPM with ADD in order to leverage the advantages of each and demonstrate its use via an illustrative system development project. The integrated approach provides explicit guidance to the architect to capture form, function and life-cycle properties early in the conceptual architecting process.
['Nil H. Kilicay-Ergin', 'Colin J. Neill', 'Raghvinder S. Sangwan']
Integrating object-process methodology with attibute driven design