Challenges and solutions in the automotive industry 

Over and over again the so far dominating key industry of the industrialized world has proven that it is capable to react to dramatical market changes with the required consequences and readiness to invest. After years of cost reductions and Lean Production programs those market players who have survived have to deal with a number of new challenges:

 
(1) Whereas the former core markets stagnate or even shrink, growth currently happens almost only in the emerging markets. Capacity adjustments and the required shifting of production and development activities is becoming kind of  “endurance test” for OEMs and suppliers as well. Only efficient, flexible and at the same time robust development processes and -projects, that work without any frictional loss over several sites and across borders offer the chance for growth.
->Efficient product development processes, Interfaces become process accelerators

 

(2) The market fragmentation leads to a real explosion of vehicle variants. Moreover it is necessary to develop completely new drive concepts quickly, under the pressure of an energy- and environment-driven discussion and the resulting legislation. More than ever a well-structured innovation process is demanded, purposeful leading to the right development projects.
-> Innovation under control, Product development projects in-time, in-budget, in-quality

(3) The demand of the OEMs to their suppliers to deliver "native" design data into their respective OEM development environment still leads to the use of multiple CAD and PDM systems on supplier level, coupled with an ongoing data management, interface, and release problems. According to that, the planned introduction of an overall PLM solution is complex, especially when any existing CAD data has to be migrated to the new system without any loss.
--> see our arcticle about the migration of an PLM-System at BWTS (in german)