Reference Continental Automotive GmbH - The Introduction of CMMI Levels 2 and 3 in the Automotive Supply Industry
Process Management Creates Competitive Advantages and Secures Long-Term Customer Relationships
Initial Situation and Project Goals
UNITY has been advising the powertrain business of Siemens VDO since January 2004 with its reorganization of its development processes. The international CMMI® standard published by the SEI (Software Engineering Institute) at Carnegie Mellon University in the USA forms the basis for this work. The general goal of the project is to certify all powertrain divisions at Maturity Level 3. That is how competitive both the processes and the organization have to be in this highly complex world of products. The first step saw the system- and software-development processes brought up to CMMI® Maturity Level 3. They were certified as such in March 2007 by an independent team of assessors. The second step is now seeing the integration of mechatronic development into the newly developed process model. The main challenge is in dealing with the numerous international locations and business units and in using the CMMI® standard in the context of complex mechatronic product development.
"Offering our customers innovative and reliable solutions now and in the future is the precondition for our competitiveness. With UNITY’s support – above all with its process- and project-management know-how – and with the help of the CMMI ® model we could successfully reorganize and demonstrably improve our development processes.”
Stefan Weber, Division Process Executive
Tasks of UNITY
With the development units’ close work with UNITY the potentials and different approaches of the various locations and business units could be identified. These formed the basis for the subsequent optimization of processes. Alongside the achievement of the targeted CMMI® Level, the optimization of day-to-day processes in product development was also part of the project’s goals. The corresponding future processes are currently being devised within the context of a forward-looking blueprint and are being harmonized across the participating business units. The subsequent pilot project will serve to validate the new ways of working and give the first pointers to possible improvements. UNITY is currently identifying the metrics and performance indicators necessary for this together with the responsible employees. This tried-and-tested approach will achieve a successful rollout for all locations, business units and employees in the organization.
Benefits for the Client
The use of CMMI® and the participation of UNITY has proved for Siemens VDO to be a methodically sound approach to building a company-wide process landscape, achieving a structured harmonization across countries and locations, and successfully implementing a program of CMMI® certification. Even the certification itself gives Siemens VDO a clear competitive advantage in gaining and retaining customers. The new types of internal organization enable customer projects to be realized in a standardized, more cost-effective manner. UNITY is working on this successful project with its partner company NaviGet GmbH.
Siemens VDO Automotive AG
Siemens VDO Automotive AG is one of the world’s leading suppliers of electronics, electrical and mechatronic products to the automotive industry. As a development partner of the automotive industry, the company manufactures products for powertrain, engine control electronics and fuel injectors that improve engine performance and reduce emissions. Siemens VDO is also involved in the areas of driver comfort, convenience and safety as well as after-market solutions for consumer and commercial vehicles.
NaviGet GmbH
NaviGet is a management consultancy specializing in strategy implementation, process optimization, and organizational development. With its expert knowledge, NaviGet helps companies achieve their growth targets. The emphasis of its consulting work is to focus on results. Through the balanced consideration of hard and soft factors results can be improved quickly, sustainably and in a way that can be measured. NaviGet advises firms that want to shorten development times, lower production costs and improve their sales results.
