  This paper describes the use of the Levels of Conceptual Interoperability
Model (LCIM) as a framework for conceptual modeling and its descriptive and
prescriptive uses. LCIM is applied to show its potential and shortcomings in
the current simulation interoperability approaches, in particular the High
Level Architecture (HLA) and Base Object Models (BOM). It emphasizes the need
to apply rigorous engineering methods and principles and replace ad-hoc
approaches.
