The status quo: we are stuck in the hardware-defined world

In the German automotive industry, we are currently seeing platform developments at the level of electronic control units and their respective component-oriented peripherals (sensors, actuators), supported by the use of off-the-shelf PLM solutions that implement the function-based PLE (Product Line Engineering) method. This enables a product portfolio based on customer-specific mass production, which enables the manufacture of vehicles with a high degree of individualization.

However, this approach has its methodological limitations:

• There is no clear separation between requirement and realization.

• The technical context of variance points is not directly documented.

• The semantics and context of features are not represented.

• There are no concrete statements about individual product instances.

• No comprehensive and consistent change and configuration management possible.

  
  

As the market environment becomes more dynamic, customer-centric software development is playing a key role. This tectonic shift is causing complexity to explode while maintaining the strategy of customized mass production.

We therefore have to take new paths and consistently establish data-centric methods, processes and tools in SDV (Software Defined Vehicle) development. Centrally relevant information such as requirements from regulations or architectural decisions may only be documented in one place in the company. All areas that rely on this information can access it directly. This is also referred to as the "single source of truth" - a completely undisputed, centrally maintained source of truth. This information must also be consistent, semantically correct and complete. Wherever it makes sense, relationships should be described in a formalized form and not just in the form of prose text. The fact that every piece of information and every aspect can develop and change must be taken into account. Consistent version and configuration management is therefore also essential.

In the next blog post we will discuss the answer to these challenges in detail.