Practitioners’ experiences with model-driven engineering: a meta-review

The Object Management Group introduced the Model-Driven Architecture in 2001. Since then, the research community has embraced model-driven engineering (MDE), but to a lesser extent than practitioners had hoped. A good awareness of practitioners’ challenges, particularly with modeling, is required to ensure the relevance of a research agenda. Therefore, this study conducts a meta-review on the state of practice in using modeling languages for software engineering over the last five years using Kitchenham’s guidelines. This study serves as an orientation within the research field and a basis for further research. It contributes to the literature by focusing on publications discussing the practical use of modeling languages and the benefits and problems perceived by practitioners. The main finding of this review is that practitioners benefit from MDE in the following ways: it is beneficial for several stakeholders; it saves cost; it is easy to use; it improves productivity, quality, and understanding of the system; and it provides support for software development activities. However, practitioners continue to face several serious challenges. The most frequently reported issues are the missing tool functionalities. Many studies have found that adhering to the Physics of Notation principles would improve modeling languages. Other findings include that modeling is mostly used for documentation and requirements elicitation, and UML is the most often used.