Software Product Development: Manufacturer – Supplier Cooperation
Abstract: Automotive software embedded in an electronic control unit (ECU) is mostly outsourcedto the suppliers. An automotive manufacturer specifies functional requirementsand takes role as a system integrator merging a large number of software componentsacquiring from different suppliers. The growing number of ECUs in a vehicle resultsin the manufacturer having a lot of interactions with a number of suppliers. Thereforethere is a need of an effective mechanism to collaborate with the suppliers duringsoftware development.
In this thesis, a case study at an automotive OEM is conducted with the purposeto investigate the current state of the practice of how the practitioners develop a newsoftware product together with suppliers. In addition, it also seeks to identify areas ofchallenges the practitioners encounter during the development effort.The case study employs a framework for lightweight software process improvementas research techniques. The case study incorporates the study of interviews and documentationfrom multiple data sources allowing triangulation of findings.
The results show that, to develop a software-intensive system with the supplier,it is crucial to take into consideration not only the engineering process but also theaspect of management strategies. Moreover, it is this area that the practitioners haveidentified as the most important one to improve to achieve a successful OEM-suppliercooperation.
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