This work is part of ongoing research into the adoption of the SAPPhIRE Model of Causality as a framework for the management of conceptual design data. Due to the prevalence of behavioural data and frequent iterations found in conceptual design, PLM systems can struggle to maintain a coherent product definition. Previous work has demonstrated the utility of the SAPPhIRE Model for representing causality at multiple points in a system’s lifecycle, however its integration into a Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) environment has not been explored. This paper presents the development, testing and study results of the novel software tool named OPAL. OPAL is a MBSE software tool based on the SAPPhIRE Model for the capture, management, representation and sharing of conceptual design data. Engineering student participants used OPAL to carry out typical CubeSat conceptual design activities within a test environment. The results of the study show that the students were able to effectively utilize OPAL’s functions with only a short introduction, with 85% reporting it easy to use. In contrast to their traditional file management software and practices, the visual representation of the data via the SAPPhIRE Models made it significantly easier to be able to track and find data using the causal links, regardless of the subsystem being studied. It was concluded that further development of OPAL as a proof of concept should be undertaken, to both further investigate the conceptual design phase, and to support other phases of the lifecycle.