Reference AUDI AG - Requirements Management for Enterprise PDM
Initial Situation and Project Goals
In the spring of 2007 Volkswagen rolled out enterprise PDM (product data management) at VW and Audi as an intragroup change program. The goal of the project was the introduction of new work processes in product development based on continuous, companywide product data management. The ultimate aim of the project, which will run for four years, is to provide 45,000 employees across the entire Volkswagen Group with access to standardized data sets. To achieve this, the company will use standard PLM software to bring more transparency to the entire automobile development process. The challenge of the project is to ensure that reliable information is available on product maturity, productivity, and costs at every point.
“Working with UNITY we established an approach that enabled us to agree on and realize the requirements for our enterprise PDM project in a way that was transparent and comprehensible to all involved. UNITY thereby made a valuable contribution to the planning and implementation of project milestones.”
Dr.- Ing. Hans - Jörg Speck, Enterprise PDM Leader Project Design, AUDI AG
Tasks of UNITY
It is planned that the PLM software will be set up with as close to standard functionality as possible. User requirements will therefore be recorded centrally and reflected in this standard functionality. UNITY, in cooperation with Audi, has redefined the processes and the competencies of the requirements management system. Today a systematic approach is being used to determine, organize, and document the requirements for the configuration of the new PDM system. This binding process transparently directs the activities and responsibilities of the roles and committees involved in requirements management. Tailored IT tools, criteria checklists, and specified deliverables ensure that requirements are pursued and scheduled in an understandable manner.
Benefits for the Client
For Audi, the benefit of the standardized requirements management process that UNITY is now overseeing lies in the methodical and unambiguous approach it supports. With this it is possible to attach proportional importance and plausibility to proposed requirements. The requirements of the specialist divisions can be fed into the enterprise PDM release-planning system according to needs, providing the essential basis for coherent production volumes.
AUDI AG
Audi AG sold a total of 964,151 cars in 2007 and, with revenue of €33,617 million and pre-tax profit of €2,915 million, achieved new records. Audi has production sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Györ (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). At the end of 2007, production of the Audi A6 started in Aurangabad, India. The company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. Audi AG’s wholly owned subsidiaries include Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Audi employs around 54,000 people worldwide, including 45,000 in Germany. The brand with the four rings invests more than €2 billion each year to sustain the company’s technological lead embodied in its “Vorsprung durch Technik” slogan. Audi plans to nearly double the number of models in its portfolio by 2015 from the 26 currently on offer to 40.
