System of Systems Lifecycle management as a strategic success factor in mechanical engineering

In modern mechanical engineering, the understanding of success has changed fundamentally. It is no longer enough to simply deliver technically sophisticated products today, the ability to strategically support and shape the entire life cycle of a machine is crucial. System of Systems Lifecycle management (LCM) is thus becoming a key success factor that combines technology, economic efficiency and sustainability. At its core, LCM describes the holistic control of all phases of a product from the idea to development, use and maintenance to dismantling and recycling. Especially in mechanical engineering, where systems are often in use for decades, this approach opens up enormous potential for increasing efficiency, reducing costs and boosting innovation. Current research, for example by Salehi [32] and Salehi and Witte [33], shows that the integration of digital concepts such as modelbased systems engineering (MBSE), agile methods and blockchain technologies is crucial to taking LCM to a new level. By using the Munich Agile MBSE Concept (MAGIC), complex systems can be modelled virtually in early development phases and continuously monitored via digital twins. This creates a continuous data chain that seamlessly connects the flow of information between development, production and operation. Blockchain-based architectures ensure data integrity and traceability throughout the entire life cycle an essential factor for trust and efficiency in global value creation networks. For mechanical engineering, this means a profound change: processes become more transparent, feedback loops between operations and development accelerate innovation, and ecological key figures can be precisely recorded and optimised. LCM thus becomes not only a tool for sustainability, but also a driver for new business models such as ‘machine-as-a-service’ or data-based service contracts. Ultimately, System of Systems Lifecycle management is not purely an IT system, but a management philosophy. Those who succeed in combining technological tools with organisational learning and long-term thinking will position themselves as pioneers of a digital and sustainable industry. This makes LCM the key to competitiveness, innovative strength and entrepreneurial resilience in 21st-century mechanical engineering.