Far-reaching consequences for OEMs
The vehicle product is constantly evolving due to changing laws, technical updates and further or new developments. In this context, new vehicle configurations are frequently created in series production.
Currently, these technical changes for hardware and software are not explicitly mapped in the E/E product data as part of the product creation process and traditional model maintenance. Scheduling conflicts arise because technology that belongs together (e.g., components that belong together in terms of scheduling) is not used synchronously. Affected here are change mechanisms of ECUs in the vehicle, which regulate, for example, basic physical TARGET key figures for speed, pressure and temperatures.
To comply with the statutory UNECE requirements in the area of product data management, cost- and time-intensive process adjustments as well as IT adaptations in already existing IT systems are necessary, as well as the introduction of new IT systems if necessary or on a case-by-case basis. In the process chain, all areas can be affected, from change management and the bill of materials to production and customer service.
Probably the greatest challenge for automotive manufacturers is to implement the process-related and IT adjustments consistently and coherently throughout the entire process chain in the most cost- and time-efficient manner.