Fraunhofer IESE supports Bosch Chassis Systems Control (CC) in picking up current trends and approaches in software process innovation from applied research and making them usable in the context of automotive software engineering.
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What it is all about:
Fraunhofer IESE and Bosch CC are implementing process innovations in the area of automotive software
The challenge:
How to benefit from new software process innovations and integrate them efficiently into the engineering process?
The support:
Fraunhofer IESE supports Bosch CC in integrating new software process innovations into their engineering process
Your benefits:
Benefit from our experience in improving software development processes
Since 2016, Fraunhofer IESE and Bosch Chassis Systems Control (CC) have been collaborating successfully in various fields of software process innovation in the context of the development of embedded automotive systems. The spectrum of topics considered is very broad: It ranges from identifying the potential of agile methods and practices to the use of innovative knowledge transfer concepts and the influence of the digital transformation on the engineering process. The aim is to identify current trends and approaches from applied research, adapt them to the needs of Bosch CC, and implement them hands-on in projects.
In recent years, the role and significance of software in the automotive sector has changed dramatically. More and more functionality is being implemented in software and is only made possible by software (e.g., automated driving functions). The way software is developed has also changed – from standardized architectures such as AUTOSAR to the generation of code from models. In addition, the speeds at which new functionality must be delivered and at which new approaches and technologies are emerging has also increased dramatically. This has major implications for the requirements on an efficient software engineering process and how it must be changed.
At the beginning of the collaboration between Fraunhofer IESE and Bosch CC, the focus was on examining the potential and the practical application of various agile practices and methods in a regulated environment. This included the identification of a suitable level of agility via a potential analysis developed by IESE, frameworks for scaling agile methods and practices with regard to large, distributed development projects with teams working in parallel, as well as models for determining the agile maturity level of a project. Projects were coached accordingly during the testing and introduction of promising approaches.
In 2019, work started on knowledge transfer concepts for imparting classic engineering topics and adapting them to the world of agile development. For this purpose, the role model of an agile test manager was developed as an example and discussed with users. At the same time, knowledge transfer formats were collected and compared in order to identify suitable formats with which classic engineering topics can be communicated attractively and efficiently in an agile environment. In 2020 and 2021, knowledge transfer concepts for teaching about “Continuous Integration” were discussed and elaborated together with Bosch. The approach consists of simulation-based hand-on training, where participants learn in an environment that is as realistic as possible what to look out for in Continuous Integration in the context of embedded software engineering.
Since 2020, the project team has been looking at how the digital transformation directly affects engineering processes. First, the engineering process itself increasingly generates Big Data that needs to be accessible and usable (for example, in the context of developing automated driving functions). Here, approaches for data management as well as the lifecycle of data and the value of data were examined. Another aspect that has been worked on since 2021 is how data and analysis methods (e.g., Machine Learning) can be used to identify potential for improvement in the process and make workflows more efficient.
In an annual rhythm, new trends and topics are presented by IESE as part of the collaboration, and are jointly aligned with the current needs of Bosch CC. Subsequently, the work plan for the coming year is defined.
This is what Peter Fröhlich, Director Engineering Methods, Tools and Licenses, Chassis Systems Control (CC), Robert Bosch GmbH, has to say:
Through this collaboration, Bosch CC has learned about current trends and approaches in the area of process innovation from the perspective of applied research and has been able to assess their added value and improvement potential better. The results were used to integrate new methods and processes into the engineering process of Bosch CC in a targeted manner and transfer them to their employees.
Currently, IESE and Bosch CC are working on the influence of the digital transformation on the engineering process and on how data obtained in the process can be harnessed (e.g., using Artificial Intelligence methods) to increase the efficiency of the process and to better communicate the process in the company.
Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE