Engineering Governance: The Engine Behind Automotive Excellence
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In this blog, we recap “Engineering Governance: The Engine Behind Automotive Excellence” – Click HERE to read the entire Whitepaper.
Engineering Governance: The Engine Behind Automotive Excellence
The automotive industry is a world of constant change. Engineering governance is the invisible engine that keeps everything humming smoothly.
Innovation to support AI-powered software-defined vehicles, electric and hybrid drivetrains, and sustainability initiatives are navigating where the automotive sector is going. But while technology makes headlines, what happens behind the scenes to manage the complexity of automotive development to stay on the right course is just as critical.
What Is Engineering Governance?
Engineering governance is a system of policies, processes, and standards that guides everything from vehicle design to production. It serves as the GPS for automotive engineering teams to ensure that they are building the right vehicles in the right way, so that every decision aligns with regulatory, safety, and quality standards and the broader goals of the company. It helps with the unification of the hardware and software siloes to not only avoid defects resulting in costly recalls and accelerate product development, but also provide an holistic operational overview of the complete engineering organization reducing risks and driving efficiency.
When designing a new hybrid, for example, engineering governance ensures that the final product adheres to emissions laws, passes stringent safety tests, and meets customer expectations. It
touches every stage of a vehicle’s lifecycle — from initial design to when it rolls off the assembly line and beyond.
AI is accelerating development of systems to enhance safety, enable convenience, and make maintenance more effective. Engineering governance will ensure that concerns about cybersecurity risks and ethical decision-making are addressed. OEMs face the significant challenge of seamlessly integrating diverse software from hundreds of suppliers. Modern premium vehicles have more than 100 million lines of software code — far exceeding the 14 million lines of code in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Dealing with safe-critical, non-safe, secure, open-source, and proprietary software, each with its own requirements and standards, necessitates robust engineering governance, efficient collaboration, and cutting-edge tools to ensure that the systems coexist harmoniously.
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Why Engineering Governance Matters
For automotive companies, failure to follow strong engineering governance risks expensive recalls, lawsuits, and fines, as well as harm to customer health and property, leading to significant negative brand impact. Here’s why getting it right matters so much:
- Ensuring Compliance with Regulations: Automotive companies operate within a tightly regulated environment. Engineering governance provides a structured approach to ensure compliance with all relevant regulations across markets where vehicles are sold.
- Managing Risks Proactively: Helps identify and mitigate risks early before they escalate. Without comprehensive safety and quality testing, defects might surface after vehicles are delivered to customers, rather than during development when fixes are much less costly.
- Maintaining Quality Standards: A robust framework ensures that vehicles meet or exceed performance and reliability specifications without cutting corners during design, manufacturing, or testing. It enables a comprehensive view of all aspects of vehicle safety by unifying hardware and software development siloes.
- Driving Innovation Responsibly: Innovation without governance can spiral into impractical or unsafe ideas. Engineering governance ensures innovation is balanced with feasibility, compliance, and cost control. Companies racing ahead with autonomous vehicle technology, for example, need engineering governance to ensure that these vehicles undergo rigorous safety tests, align with evolving regulations, and deliver innovations responsibly.
- Achieving Sustainability Goals: Sustainability has become a business imperative for automakers in response to demands from governments and consumers. Engineering governance helps automakers achieve sustainability goals by embedding eco-friendly practices into every stage of development and production.
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Engineering Governance Scenarios
Here’s how engineering governance plays a role at every step in the development of any new vehicle or system:
- Design Phase: Ensures vehicles comply with emissions standards and fuel efficiency standards in the United States, the European Union, and other regions.
- Testing and Validation: Frameworks ensure rigorous testing of every component — from the engine to the suspension system and software. Engineers follow defined processes to simulate driving conditions to ensure safety and durability.
- Supply Chain Oversight: Identifies system or parts suppliers whose products and processes meet quality and sustainability standards.
- Post-Market Monitoring: Even after vehicles are sold, engineering governance mechanisms monitor performance through data collection to identify recurring issues and develop structured response plans to ensure quick fixes that reduce customer dissatisfaction.
For automotive executives, engineering governance is more than a technical concern; it’s a business strategy driving competitive advantage by ensuring that reliable, innovative, and compliant vehicles hit the market faster than the competition. It builds customer trust, bolsters investor confidence, and helps companies stay ahead of the constant changes in regulations.
How Jama Software Helps
Jama Software empowers automotive companies to excel in their engineering governance initiatives by providing a centralized platform called Jama Connect® that ensures traceability, compliance, and collaboration across complex development projects. By facilitating real-time alignment between teams and maintaining a clear connection between regulatory requirements, development processes, and business goals, Jama Connect helps streamline decision-making and reduce risk. This enables organizations to confidently manage innovation, comply with regulatory standards, and accelerate time to market — all while maintaining high levels of quality and accountability.
To learn more about Jama Connect for Automotive, visit jamasoftware.com/solutions/automotive/
TO DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE WHITEPAPER, VISIT:
Engineering Governance: The Engine Behind Automotive Excellence
General Manager, Automotive & Semiconductor at Jama Software
Highly successful, seasoned executive leader with over 25 years in the embedded segment with an ability to align cross functional organizations to execute on a vision. Proven track record in business development, marketing, product management across hardware, software and solution domains based on a foundational commercial and technical expertise.
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