Challenges to Digital Product and Process Development Systems at BMW

Abstract

Today, the methods of model based product development are well-recognized and wide spread, at least, in the automotive industry as well as in the aerospace industry and their suppliers. But, current challenges of these industries like light weight design, electro mobility, modern mobility concepts plus those caused by rising product complexity bring this concept to its limits. An overall approach is progressively requested, which is able to continuously integrate requirements, functions, logic and physical product descriptions (RFLP). This should be possible not only for mechanical aspects but also for electronics and software development. The approach of system engineering addresses the continuous availability and linkage of product information. This concept, which is well-known in the aerospace industry for a long time, is only recently used in automotive industry. An example is the use of integrated development environments. Nonetheless, the realization of this concept in an automotive company is definitely a challenge. Examples for these problems are differently coined. Examples are detailed requirements (client requirements versus requirements to a complete vehicle and to components properties), consideration of configuration, validity and maturity, complexity management (complete vehicle to component, vertical integration, plus integration of early concept phases over development, verification, clearance to the production start-up, horizontal integration) and multi-disciplinarity (mechanics with calculation, electronics and software). The realization of systems engineering does not only create high demands to the design of the process-IT (authoring systems, TDM and PDM), but also has to consider organizational aspects (process and structure organization, integration of development partners and suppliers). Frequent acquisitions under IT system vendors, especially, in the CAD/PLM/CAE market as well as the selection of the systems for functional and economical aspects lead to increased requirements concerning open interfaces. In the present document, findings and experiences from the introduction of systems engineering for automotive processes are described. Effects on the process IT architecture are outlined. “Lessons learned” and necessary changes in process-IT, in form of selected examples and solution alternatives, are discussed.