Semantic Enhancements when Designing a BOM-based Conceptual Model Repository

The Defence Conceptual Modeling Framework (DCMF) is the Swedish Defence Research Agency’s (FOI) proposal for conceptual modeling in the military domain. DCMF enables the conceptualization, composition, visualization, and reuse of knowledge for modeling and simulation. To achieve these aims, DCMF requires that its final products— conceptual models expressed as Base Object Models (BOMs)—-are embedded with semantics. In this study, this is accomplished by formalizing them through the use of an ontology. These semantically enriched models are better able to achieve key requirements of DCMF, mainly conceptualization and reuse of knowledge. Such requirements are crucial when conceptual models are stored for later use in a repository.