Smart Diagrams

In BAA’s experience, visualization tools, such as P-diagrams, FMEAs, and boundary diagrams, are critical to the engineering process. These tools often provide a much-needed high level view of data relationships which is difficult to achieve when using an abstract database. However, while these tools are useful they often lack a meaningful connection to the data they strive to represent. Our solution to this complex issue is to convert the standard representations into “smart” diagrams.

A smart diagram is a graphical representation of data in which the composite shapes can store data and communicate with each other or outside sources. In a database a user can manipulate the data with tools such as filters and queries, but they typically cannot effectively view data relationships. Graphical representations on the other hand are quite effective at displaying relationships but lack the ability to be filtered or efficiently searched. A smart diagram combines the benefits of both by visually representing data relationships in a format that can be quickly queried or filtered.

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The smart diagram examples below are in a boundary diagram format which is a graphical illustration of the relationships between the subsystems, assemblies, sub assemblies, and components within the object as well as the interfaces with the neighboring systems. The boundary diagram identifies the flows of information between the system and external influences. The entire systems and relationships can be shown as a single visual representations.