Advances in information and communication technology (ICT) foster smart systems. Seamless data flows between stakeholders are crucial for their functioning. Designing communication systems to manage data exchange in distributed multi-stakeholder networks is challenged by the complexity of diverse stakeholders with varying interests and data needs. This requires a comprehensive understanding of data flows and communication dynamics. This paper investigates methods for modeling and analyzing data-related links between stakeholders in complex systems. After defining requirements and reviewing available methods, an approach combining dependency and structure modeling (DSM) and systems modeling language (SysML) is identified as most suitable. This is applied to a case study of autonomous buses in public transport, demonstrating its applicability and providing a foundation for further work.
