Lessons Learned from Implementing Configuration Management within Electrical/Electronic Developmentof an Automotive OEM

摘要

In the past decade the automotive domain has encountered significant changes withinrnits competitive environment. Automotive OEMs are forced to offer an increased number ofrnvariant models, to satisfy individual customer needs as well as constantly introduce innovativernfeatures within their products. Electrical/electronic systems play a major role enabling OEMs tornaddress these needs. Development processes for electrical/electronic systems are moving into thernfocus of automotive companies. However current development approaches for these type ofrnsystems within automotive industry are only partially able to cope with the mentioned challengesrnand yield the necessary, high-quality systems. Thus automotive OEMs started to restructure theirrndevelopment approaches for electrical/electronic systems and introduce Systems Engineering.rnThis paper is illustrating lessons learned from implementing configuration managementrnwithin electrical/electronic development as part of an major initiative at a German OEM tornintroduce Systems Engineering. The initiative is still on its way, therefore the lessons learned arernonly part of the truth. The paper will start by highlighting the current situation of the automotivernindustry and point out the future role of electrical/electronic systems for achieving competitivernadvantage. Based on this background the need for Systems Engineering, especially withinrnelectrical/electronic development will be discussed. Configuration management as a part ofrnSystems Engineering processes will be described in general and in its application in anrnautomotive environment. The specifics of configuration management within Electrical/electronicrndevelopment of an automotive OEM will be highlighted and discussed. Afterwards the paperrndiscusses lessons learned during conception and implementation of the configurationrnmanagement building blocks into the OEMs organization. Key success factors for introducingrnconfiguration management as part of a Systems Engineering initiative into an existing processrnand organizational landscape are then derived from the lessons learned.