Choosing the Best Tool for Requirements Management in the Automotive Industry (Even If Your Suppliers Use Something Else)

Requirements & Requirements Management

Choosing the Best Tool for Requirements Management in the Automotive Industry (Even If Your Suppliers Use Something Else)

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Choosing the Best Tool for Requirements Management in the Automotive Industry (Even If Your Suppliers Use Something Else)

Choosing the Best Tool for Requirements Management in the Automotive Industry (Even If Your Suppliers Use Something Else)

Requirements management plays a vital role in the product development lifecycle, impacting everyone in the automotive industry—from project managers and architects to software teams, systems engineers, and senior executives. Whether you’re overseeing the development of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) or managing the assembly of an entire vehicle platform, having a robust requirements management tool that helps support engineering governance can mean the difference between success and costly delays.

But here’s where it can get tricky. Your organization isn’t developing products in a vacuum. You’re constantly collaborating with a network of suppliers, each of whom may have their own preferred requirement management tools. The question then becomes, should you compromise your needs and processes to align with the tools your suppliers are using, or can you select the BEST tool for your needs and ensure seamless collaboration anyway?

Spoiler alert: The answer lies in selecting the right tool for your organization, regardless of what your suppliers are using. Here’s how you can make that decision with confidence.

Why Picking the Wrong Tool Could Cost You

Many automotive companies end up selecting requirements management tools solely because their suppliers use them. While this might seem like the easiest path to collaboration, it can actually result in more inefficiencies and frustrations down the road.

Key Challenges of Adopting the Wrong Tool:

  • Misalignment with Your Processes: Tools that don’t support your specific workflows or business goals can disrupt productivity.
  • Steep Learning Curves: Adopting a tool simply because others are using it can lead to excessive training needs. If the interface isn’t user-friendly or intuitive for your team, adoption rates may plummet.
  • Limited Scalability: What works for your supplier today may not meet your complex or evolving needs tomorrow.
  • Missed Opportunities: A mediocre tool can restrict innovation and time to market. When you’re stuck trying to make something work, you’re not maximizing efficiency or leveraging the full power of your processes.

The takeaway? It’s your team working day in and day out with the requirements management tool — not your suppliers. That means your organization’s specific needs should come first.

RELATED: Engineering Governance: The Engine Behind Automotive Excellence

Must-Have Features in a Requirements Management Tool

Choosing the right software isn’t just about checking boxes. It’s about finding a tool that fits seamlessly into your automotive development environment and supports collaboration across your supplier network.

Here are some must-have features to look for:

1: Advanced Traceability

Traceability is vital in the automotive industry for safety-critical systems and regulatory compliance. The right tool should allow you to trace requirements across your entire system—from initial stakeholder needs to risks and mitigations to testing and validation. A tool that allows you to span the entire V-Model with high visibility and ease of tracking gaps and potential risks is key. Dashboard views and other means to obtain a holistic view of the progress of your project are essential for senior management to maintain a pulse on the project and ensure progress is being made with minimal risk.

2: Change Management and Version Control

Selecting a tool that allows for change to be controlled and easily reacted to is essential for a requirements management software. Suspect triggers allow downstream impacts to be easily identified and remedied. Proactive strategies and features like impact analysis, allow for change to be assed prior to making changes, allowing teams to prepare for the impact before it happens.

RELATED: Suspicious Requirements: The Importance of Suspect Tracking in Requirements Management

3: Regulatory Support

Ensure you look for a tool that is well-versed in your industry and understands the intimate details of the business challenges you face. Ideally, the tool you select will have frameworks and datasets that adhere to your regulatory and safety compliance standards. Standards and regulations, including ISO 21434:2021, ISO 26262:2018, and ASPICE, are essential, and the tool you select should help facilitate your compliance with these standards.

4: Cross-Tool Interoperability

One of the biggest concerns when choosing a tool that your suppliers may or may not be using is interoperability. Look for software that supports standards like ReqIF (Requirements Interchange Format) to facilitate seamless exchange of requirements with external stakeholders across your entire ecosystem. This ensures you can collaborate effectively without sacrificing your own processes.

5: AI and Automation Capabilities

Modern requirements management tools leverage AI to speed up processes and improve quality. Automation capabilities can also eliminate repetitive tasks, freeing up your team to focus on higher-value work. Automatic test case generation, glossary definition, risk detection, IP identification are now considered key to requirements management and will be the standard moving forward.

6: Administration, Scalability, and Security (SOC2 Compliance)

Your requirements management solution should grow with your organization. Whether you’re managing one project or dozens, the tool should adapt to increased complexity and size. Performance at scale should be a key consideration. You’ll always need a tool that is easy to administer. You should not need a specialized role to perform this task. Cloud hosting options provide flexibility and lowers cost of ownership. SOC2 hosting environments along with a product that is also SOC2 certified is essential when considering today’s ever-evolving security risks.

7: Configurable Workflows, Customized Reports, and Export Templates

Every team operates differently. A versatile tool will allow you to configure workflows, reports, and export templates so it fits with how you work, rather than forcing you to change your processes.

8: Supply Chain Collaboration Features

While you shouldn’t need the exact same tool as your suppliers, features like shared requirements repositories, real-time commenting, and simplified export/import options make it easier to stay on the same page — even if you’re working on different platforms. Having a tool that allows you to invite external stakeholders into your reviews (at no cost) is a major benefit and consideration.

The Case for Putting Your Needs First

Imagine you’re working on a next-gen electric vehicle platform. While your suppliers might be focused on delivering specific components (like an ECU or software component), you’re responsible for the big picture. A tool that fails to give you high-level visibility simply because it aligns with your supplier’s processes? That’s a no-go.

When you select a tool based on your needs, you gain the following advantages:

  • Streamlined Internal Processes: You can focus on efficiency and alignment within your team without constantly adapting to external tools.
  • Improved Quality Management: With better traceability and error reduction mechanisms, your team is better positioned to meet high-quality standards.
  • Flexibility to Work with Any Supplier: The right tool ensures you can collaborate effectively with any supplier, regardless of what they’re using.

Making Collaboration Work Across Different Tools

If your suppliers aren’t using the same tool, how do you handle the exchange of requirements? The good news is that most modern requirements management tools include features that make cross-platform collaboration easier than you might think.

Here’s How You Can Ensure Smooth Collaboration Regardless of Tools:

  • Leverage ReqIF Standards: ReqIF facilitates reliable requirements exchange across your entire ecosystem. By adopting a tool with strong ReqIF support, you ensure compatibility with your suppliers, no matter what software they prefer.
  • Utilize Integrations and APIs: Many requirements management platforms offer direct integrations to popular tools such as Jira, Teamcenter, LDRA, Simulink, and other best of breed tools. APIs or third-party integration tools can help bridge the gap between systems, creating a smoother flow of information.
  • Define Common Terminology and Traceability Information Models: Consistent and clear data standards and traceability models reduce friction when exchanging files or tracing requirements. Establish these standards early in the collaboration process to ensure seamless communication across all stakeholders.
  • Invest in Training and Consulting Services: While the right tool should be intuitive, training ensures your team gains expertise in leveraging advanced features for cross-platform requirements exchange. Look for companies that will partner with you from the start with industry expert consultants and can consult with your on your journey to success. Avoid those that outsource or charge high consulting fees after you’ve started your project, which will result in cost and delays.

RELATED: The Clear Choice: Why Jama Connect® Surpasses Codebeamer for Requirements Management and End-to-End Traceability

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best requirements management tool for your automotive projects is no small task. But if you prioritize your organization’s unique needs while leveraging cross-platform compatibility features, you can have the best of both worlds.

Your requirements tool should empower your team, streamline your processes, and enhance collaboration without forcing you to compromise. Don’t settle for “good enough” just to align with supply chain tools when you can choose what’s “best for us”—and still work seamlessly with partners.

Curious about which tool could be the best fit for your needs? Start exploring modern requirements management tool like Jama Connect so you can stay ahead in this era of increasing complexity in the automotive industry.

Mario Maldari
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