The Collective Transforms Engineering with the
Sparx Systems Architecture Platform

The Collective’s Model-Based Systems Engineers & Consultants rely on the Sparx Systems Architecture Platform—Enterprise Architect, Pro Cloud Server and Prolaborate—to power client projects and streamline ISO 9001 quality checks and resource planning.

In the Netherlands, public infrastructure projects—from water management and rail networks to tunnels and energy facilities—rely heavily on clear, consistent system models. Since 2017, The Collective has championed a model‑first approach to design and delivery. By embedding modeling into everything from client work to internal quality (ISO 9001) and resource planning, they ensure every decision, diagram and action is traceable. To make this scale, they needed a flexible platform that could adapt to different sectors and speak to both technical and non‑technical audiences.

SIGMA Implemented in Prolaborate (Source: The Collective)

Challenge

Teams working in Model‑Based Systems Engineering often hit the same roadblocks:

Disconnected tools and processes: Diagrams, documentation and decisions live in separate silos, making it hard to keep everything in sync.
Communication gaps: Non‑technical stakeholders struggle to understand complex models, slowing down approvals and alignment.
Limited industry‑specific support: Off‑the‑shelf modeling tools don’t always match the needs of process industries like batch control or energy.
Traceability hurdles: Linking meeting notes, issues, diagrams and decisions in a clear, maintainable way is tough.
Adoption resistance: When leadership isn’t familiar with modeling tools, teams find it hard to introduce new platforms and ways of working.

Solution

To tackle these issues, The Collective built their MBSE practice around the Sparx Systems Architecture Platform, combining Enterprise Architect, Pro Cloud Server and Prolaborate with custom extensions:

1. Consistent, customizable modeling with Enterprise Architect

Adopted SysML as the project standard, so every team speaks the same language.
Developed custom MDG technologies and toolboxes for domains like energy systems, industrial automation and failure analysis.
Built an ISA S88‑compliant MDG for piping and instrumentation (P&ID) and functional block diagrams, ensuring models meet real‑world batch process standards.

2. Bridging the stakeholder gap with Prolaborate

Risk & Decision Analysis using Prolaborate (Source: The Collective)

Transforms technical model data into dashboards and visuals that project managers and executives can use without specialized training.
Embedded Scrum/Kanban boards, discussion threads and review workflows directly into the model‑driven dashboards to keep everyone on the same page.
Created custom profiles to highlight the right properties, so each stakeholder sees only the information they need.

3. Deep traceability and internal integration

Linked meeting minutes, issues, actions and diagrams back to model elements, delivering one source of truth for audits and quality checks.
Extended modeling beyond client projects into ISO 9001 quality processes and resource planning, proving that a modeling‑first approach can drive efficiency across the business.

Jan de Liefde, Founder and CTO of The Collective, notes that by tailoring Enterprise Architect and Prolaborate to their exact needs, the team not only meets industry standards but also brings non‑modelers into the conversation. This combination of a robust base platform and smart, customer‑driven adaptations has helped The Collective scale MBSE, improve collaboration and position themselves as a growing hub for modeling expertise.

Jan de Liefde, Founder and CTO of The Collective (Source: The Collective)