Implement "Automotive SPICE®"

Challenge

A leading automotive supplier for powertrain systems received an order by a large OEM for a new project. The OEM aimed at implementing Automotive SPICE® for its relevant processes according to HIS/VDA to the Capability Level 3. The project has been run at three distributed setups. An almost completed preceding project was investigated. The result was that there was no consistent Capability Level 1 – about half of the processes were even rated with Capability Level 0. Processes used to be recorded in Word documents and activity diagrams used to be designed with graphic tools in Word. The result of a process review, resulted in a long list of deficiencies, including errors and inconsistency of the entire process landscape. Contents of process descriptions were unfamiliar to project teams and templates were mainly used. 

Duration of the project

about 3 years

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Solution

For planning purposes, the team developed an Automotive SPICE® roadmap, with expected duration of three years. With the first important milestone, planned about twelve months after project start, all processes reached Capability Level 1 in a formal assessment. This result was achieved by intense coaching of the entire project team by, on average, 2.5 employees (this is equivalent to 5% of the entire project team). Additional to coaching, the Method Park team repeatedly implemented informal gap analyses. The intermediate stages together with its customer was able to continuously prove the implementation status of Automotive SPICE®. Furthermore, the team reviewed, redefined and documented existing processes in the process management tool Stages, in simultaneously operating working groups. 

Additional to continuous improvement of process documentation, the main goal was reaching Capability Level 2 in the second project year. About two years after the project start, the team was able to prove “Fully Achieved” on Capability Level 1 in an informal assessment; over half of all processes even reached Capability Level 2. 

In the third project year, processes have not only been applied in a customer project, which was the pilot project for the new defined processes, but also rolled out throughout the entire organization. For this rollout, the project team developed a training concept consisting of short basic training (virtual training) and roll-based, specialized method/tool training, which was implemented as “class room” training.

At the same time, the goal in the customer project was to close open gaps in Capability Level 2. This level was consistently reached for all processes, by the end of the project. 

Solution

Automotive SPICE® roadmap of three years

Review and improvement of processes

Consistent gap analyses

Training concept

More Information

Stages

Automotive SPICE®

Benefits

By the end of the project, all processes had reached at least Capability Level 2. Originally the OEM aimed at reaching Capability Level 3, but the OEM particularly commended the supplier for consistently reaching Capability Level 2. The process landscape was consistently modeled with Stages and employees can now easily find information all the process descriptions. Short overview training sessions on all processes, which are implemented as virtual training, offer employees the chance to get a complete overview of the process landscape at any time independent from their location.  

Benefits

Capability Level 2 for all processes

Consistent process landscape

Process descriptions are easy to understand