Multi-Robot system environmental constraint analysis by petri nets - Software and Systems Modeling The utilization of multi-robot systems and drones in diverse operational settings is steadily increasing. However, these systems are expected to function reliably despite human-induced failures, particularly in dynamic and evolving environments. This requires robust design methods that account for environmental shifts and contextual uncertainties. This study addresses this challenge by adopting formal methodologies and systematically incorporating environmental constraints (including potential human failures) into both the design and verification phases of multi-robot systems. Specifically, the proposed approach follows a structured three-step strategy- 1)initially transforming the system specification into Petri net (PN) models that reflect both functional behaviors and environmental constraints; 2) model checking the resulting PNs against temporal logic properties in CTL and CSL $$^{TA}$$ TA expressing the influence of environmental contexts on the robot’s task achievement, and 3) deriving extra constraints based on model checking outcomes to manage expected environmental shifts and proactively ensure robust system behavior. Moreover, the framework leverages state-of-the-art large language models to automatically generate temporal logic formulas from natural language system specifications, thereby reducing manual formalization effort. We conducted empirical assessments to validate the approach using a multi-robotic system deployed in airport and hotel environments. The results demonstrate that the framework effectively supports both system modeling and the systematic evaluation of contextual influences on intended operational behavior.

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Multi-Robot system environmental constraint analysis by petri nets
Mandira Roy, Novarun Deb, Agostino Cortesi, Rituparna Chaki & Nabendu Chaki
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Dependency-aware model repair: prioritizing repairs through consistency rule and inconsistency analysis - Software and Systems Modeling Inconsistencies in software models can lead to cascading problems during software evolution, including unmet requirements, increased defects, and reduced system reliability. To mitigate these problems, consistency maintenance (which combines consistency checking and repair) is essential. A common strategy relies on consistency rules (CRs), often expressed in languages such as the Object Constraint Language. However, defining and maintaining CRs is challenging due to a limited understanding of potential dependencies among CRs and the inconsistencies they detect. Moreover, once inconsistencies are repaired, these dependencies cause problems as repairs may have unwanted repercussions in other parts of the model. In this paper, we present a dependency-aware approach for identifying and analyzing relationships among CRs, inconsistencies, and repairs. We introduce a metamodel that captures these dependencies and enables automated analysis to group inconsistencies and prioritize repair alternatives based on overlapping and conflicting repair locations. Based on this analysis, our approach enables engineers to filter alternatives by prioritizing repairs with positive side effects (fixing multiple inconsistencies) and deprioritizing those with negative ones (introducing new inconsistencies). We evaluate our approach using 27 CRs and 50 UML models of varying sizes and domains. On average, 79% of inconsistencies exhibited dependencies. Repair prioritization showed that high-priority repairs resolved more inconsistencies (90 per repair on average), while low-priority repairs introduced fewer negative side effects (11 per repair on average). These findings highlight the potential of leveraging dependency analysis to guide and optimize model repair strategies, ultimately improving the effectiveness of consistency maintenance in software modeling.

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Dependency-aware model repair: prioritizing repairs through consistency rule and inconsistency analysis
Luciano Marchezan, Wesley K. G. Assunção, Edvin Herac, Saad Shafiq, Cristian Knebel & Alexander Egyed
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Function-driven cyber-physical security in smart manufacturing - Software and Systems Modeling As manufacturing evolves with cyber-physical systems (CPSs), ensuring security across all components—no matter how small—is critical to preventing system-wide failures. While frameworks like Reference...

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Function-driven cyber-physical security in smart manufacturing
Vjatšeslav Antipenko & Raimundas Matulevicius
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Enterprise modeling for the circular economy: meta-model and method component to support manufacturing enterprises - Software and Systems Modeling The circular economy (CE) is an economic philosophy aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. It emphasizes designing products for longevity, reuse, and recycling to create a clos...

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Enterprise modeling for the circular economy: meta-model and method component to support manufacturing enterprises
Kurt Sandkuhl, Ulf Seigerroth, Dan Lennartsson & Dag Raudberget
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

#SoSyM-Issue 2026/02 has been published: link.springer.com/journal/1027...

Have model transformation languages failed? - Software and Systems Modeling Model transformation plays an essential role in model-driven engineering. Models need to be transformed into other languages (e.g. for analysis) or rewritten (e.g. for optimisation or simulation). Spe...

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Have model transformation languages failed?
Juan de Lara, Esther Guerra & Jesús Sánchez Cuadrado
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

SoSyM-Cover

#SoSyM-Issue 2026/01 has been published: link.springer.com/journal/1027...

The cognitive science of modeling tools - Software and Systems Modeling Model-driven engineering (MDE) seeks to abstract and automate software development through the systematic use of models and transformations. Despite its conceptual rigor, its tools often impose cognit...

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The cognitive science of modeling tools
Alfonso Pierantonio, Simone Gozzano & Monica Mazza
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Edelta: a versatile framework for migrating clients’ EMF models - Software and Systems Modeling Metamodels and models are artifacts that must evolve together to maintain consistency and validity within model-driven engineering ecosystems. However, developers often lack control over models create...

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Edelta: a versatile framework for migrating clients’ EMF models
Lorenzo Bettini, Amleto Di Salle & Ludovico Iovino
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

A formalization of Heisenbugs and their causes in terms of hyperproperties - Software and Systems Modeling The already challenging task of identifying the cause of a bug becomes even more cumbersome if those bugs disappear or change their behavior under observation. Such bugs occur in a range of contexts i...

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A formalization of Heisenbugs and their causes in terms of hyperproperties
Sarah Sallinger, Georg Weissenbacher & Florian Zuleger
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Declarative Lifecycle Management for Self-Adaptive Systems - Software and Systems Modeling Self-adaptive systems can be realised as layered systems with a feedback loop: a managing system monitors a managed system, updates an internal model, and adjusts the managed system by means of contro...

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Declarative Lifecycle Management for Self-Adaptive Systems
Eduard Kamburjan, Nelly Bencomo, Einar Broch Johnsen & Silvia Lizeth Tapia Tarifa
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Deductively verifying functional scalable parallel programs with Why3 - Software and Systems Modeling Bulk synchronous parallelism (BSP) is a simple, yet realistic, model of scalable parallel computing. BSML is a pure functional library for the multi-paradigm language OCaml that embodies the principle...

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Deductively verifying functional scalable parallel programs with Why3
Frédéric Loulergue & Olivia Proust
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Changes in the SoSyM team:
💎Marsha Chechik serves as new Editor-in-Chief together with Benoit Combemale, Jeff Gray and Bernhard Rumpe.
💎We welcome Sophia Jit as new Assistant Editor alongside Stéphanie Challita and Martin Schindler.
💎And farewell to Huseyin Ergin as Assistant Editor!

MM-AR: a web-based open-source metamodeling platform for spatial conceptual modeling - Software and Systems Modeling Several approaches have been proposed in the past for conducting conceptual modeling and model-driven engineering using virtual or augmented reality. However, traditional metamodeling platforms only c...

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MM-AR: a web-based open-source metamodeling platform for spatial conceptual modeling
Fabian Muff, Daniel Borcard & Hans-Georg Fill
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

SavviDriver: model-based framework for game-based testing of autonomous vehicles in diverse multi-agent traffic scenarios - Software and Systems Modeling Autonomous vehicles (AVs) must operate safely in the face of uncertainty, including those induced by human behaviors (i.e., external human drivers). Specifically, AVs must exhibit safe responses when ...

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SavviDriver: model-based framework for game-based testing of autonomous vehicles in diverse multi-agent traffic scenarios
Kenneth H. Chan, Sol Zilberman & Betty H. C. Cheng
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

An architecture for the integration of product and production digital twins: an automotive case study - Software and Systems Modeling The concept of digital twins (DTs) is prominent in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0. Initially, DTs provided a virtual representation of real-world products. Subsequently, the scope o...

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An architecture for the integration of product and production digital twins: an automotive case study
R. Visser, A. H. Basson & K. Kruger
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Evaluating the requirements engineering process in model transformation development: a state of practice analysis - Software and Systems Modeling Model Transformations (MT) are a central element of Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) methods. As MT adoption increases in both industry and academia, there is a growing need for systematic software engi...

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Evaluating the requirements engineering process in model transformation development: a state of practice analysis
Sobhan Y. Tehrani, Kevin Lano, Mohammadreza Sharbaf, Shekoufeh Kolahdouz Rahimi, Steffen Zschaler & Shirin Hussein
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Congrats to Paolo Bocciarelli, Francis Bordeleau, Artur Boronat, Istvan David, Sybren de Kinderen, Emmanuel Grolleau, Robbert Jongeling, Alexander Kraus, Leen Lambers, Sander Leemans, Judith Michael, Elena Navarro, Bentley Oakes, Luise Pufahl, Hassan Sartaj, Allan Shtofenmakher & Andreas Wortmann!

Congratulations to our #SoSyM #BestReviewers 2025 and #Thanks to all reviewers, who contributed in the reviewing process of SoSyM within the last year!

All awardees of the last years: www.sosym.org/reviewer_awa...
All reviewers of SoSyM: www.sosym.org/reviewers/

an elderly woman is dancing in front of a brick building . ALT: an elderly woman is dancing in front of a brick building .

Interested in submitting to our #SoSyM #ThemeSection on "Data-intensive software product lines? The we have great news for you:
The submission deadline is extended to 15-Feb-2026! #DeadlineExtension
Find out more about the cal here: www.sosym.org/theme_sectio...

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Interactive creation, visualization, and exploration of process model collections
María Salas-Urbano, Carlos Capitán-Agudo, Cristina Cabanillas & Manuel Resinas
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

[WJG26] A core ontology of organizational policies
Hans Weigand, Paul Johannesson & Giancarlo Guizzardi
doi.org/10.1007/s102...
Journal on Software and Systems Modeling (SoSyM), Springer. 2026.

MDE for crop representations in smart farming digital twins: a reinforcement learning perspective - Software and Systems Modeling Digital twins of complex systems often involve the collaboration of multiple stakeholders. These domain experts do not speak the same domain languages, and this problem worsens when no domain-specific...

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MDE for crop representations in smart farming digital twins: a reinforcement learning perspective
Pascal Archambault, Houari Sahraoui & Eugene Syriani
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Reflections from a long career in software - Software and Systems Modeling Software and Systems Modeling -

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Reflections from a long career in software
Bran Selic
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

The Role of Standardization for Simulation in Model-Based Systems Engineering: A Survey Study Supplemented with Industrial Experiences - Software and Systems Modeling Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) increasingly integrates Modeling and Simulation (M&S) to enhance decision-making. This study aims to understand how domain-specific concerns shape simulation pra...

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The Role of Standardization for Simulation in Model-Based Systems Engineering: A Survey Study Supplemented with Industrial Experiences
Erik Rosenlund, Johan Cederbladh, Per Strandberg & Daniel Krems
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

What do we need from modeling tools for teaching? A survey of the community of higher-education modeling teachers - Software and Systems Modeling We report on an international survey of 59 higher-education teachers of software modeling and model-driven engineering regarding the modeling languages and tools they use, the pedagogic approaches the...

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What do we need from modeling tools for teaching? A survey of the community of higher-education modeling teachers
Steffen Zschaler, Timothy Lethbridge, Antonio Bucchiarone, Federico Bonetti & Reyhaneh Kalantari
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

SymboleoAC: an access control model for smart legal contracts - Software and Systems Modeling Legal contracts have served as the bedrock of business transactions for millennia. Many are nowadays automated through the use of smart (legal) contracts, often supported by blockchain and IoT technol...

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SymboleoAC: an access control model for smart legal contracts
Sofana Alfuhaid, Amal Ahmed Anda, Daniel Amyot, Marco Roveri & John Mylopoulos
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Making a case for enterprise modelling as a research method - Software and Systems Modeling Enterprise modelling (EM) refers to the systematic elicitation and documentation of organisational phenomena from several interrelated perspectives. Widely applied in information and computer sciences...

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Making a case for enterprise modelling as a research method
Sergio España, Gudrun Thorsteinsdottir, Vijanti Ramautar & Óscar Pastor
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

Modeling structured programming with Strudel: a simulation runtime for programming education tools - Software and Systems Modeling Structured programming embraces fundamental concepts represented in most general-purpose languages: sequence, selection, repetition, assignment, procedures, and recursion. We present Strudel, an execu...

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Modeling structured programming with Strudel: a simulation runtime for programming education tools
André L. Santos & Afonso B. Caniço
doi.org/10.1007/s102...

linddun maestro: an architecture framework for privacy threat modeling - Software and Systems Modeling A privacy threat represents any possible limitation of the system design that can lead to harming the (explicit or implicit) privacy needs of the system stakeholders. Privacy threat modeling involves ...

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LINDDUN MAESTRO: an architecture framework for privacy threat modeling
Dimitri Van Landuyt, Laurens Sion & Wouter Joosen
doi.org/10.1007/s102...