9.2.3 Successful Implementation and Application of Continuous Risk Management to Complex Systems Development in the Automotive Industry

Abstract

AbstractCurrently, more than 90% of the innovation in the automobile industry is driven by new ideas in the electric and electronic sector (Frischkorn 2004). Due to the increased complexity of the electrics/electronics (E/E) system, car breakdowns today are more often not mechanical in nature, but are likely due to a defect in the electrics/electronics system (ADAC 2004). As a result the development of a more reliable automobile E/E system is a major concern for car manufacturers around the world in order to produce innovative and reliable cars and remain competitive.Besides sound requirements engineering and effective project management, the key to dealing with the increasing complexity of E/E system development is to identify potential system problems throughout the development process and respond with appropriate actions to mitigate potential adverse impacts and thus achieve the project objectives. This issue can be accomplished by implementing a continuous risk management (RSKM) approach focused on the development of the E/E system.This paper illustrates a practical, proven approach applied to new product development at the BMW Group. The approach enables proactive risk identification and mitigation to obtain more transparency in the development of the complex E/E system of an automobile.