1.3.1 Quantifying the benefit of introducing Systems Engineering Processes ‐ Myth or Reality?

Abstract

AbstractIn the past years the automotive industry had to face, especially in the field of electric/ electronic, an increase in complexity. To be able to keep highest quality standards BMW Group had to restructure its existing processes within electric/electronic development according to these new challenges. A Change Program was set up to shift those development processes towards a system orientated development.For commercial driven companies an evaluation of cost vs. benefits is a prerequisite for approval and execution of such a change program. Therefore a business case was necessary. At the beginning of the change program a statement of anticipated likely impacts had to be made. At the end of the change program predicted impacts had to be validated. The approach taken was based on an aggregation of evaluations performed by the different subprojects of the change program. This paper is illustrating – based on the experiences of a subproject (Configuration Management) – the approach taken to model and evaluate a business case at the beginning and the end of the change program. An example using neutralized data from BMW Group is demonstrating the approach. Lessons learned and success factors implementing the approach are discussed. Evaluating or even quantifying the value of Systems Engineering Processes within product development is discussed within the SE community for quite a while, with very different positions. This paper aims at making a contribution to this discussion.