One of the main challenges in software lifecycle management within automotive sector is the collaboration and communication with independent IT Suppliers, which deliver and maintain embedded software for ECUs (Electronic Control Units).

Due to ugins/editors/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/themes/advanced/langs/en.js" type="text/javascript"> security reasons they are not integrated directly in the Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) systems of the OEMs most of the time. They work independent and communicate and interact based on proprietary solutions and interfaces to OEM’s Change and Configuration Management systems.

Proprietary Server-Server Data Exchange:

• Customer specific Infrastructure also on Supplier Side
• No independent Patch Processes
• No direct control on data access

The tight, proprietary coupling of OEMs and IT Suppliers raises a lot of problems and challenges in this area (here “Daimler point of view” - based on Daimler experiences).

• Increasing human resources to keep the process running
• Increasing Backlog in different working steps inside the process (3 Weeks)
• Partly loss or corruption of data on the communication channels
• Low solution rate
• Long turnaround times for solutions
• Different understanding about the priority definition and the effects (according to the Daimler SW Release Process)
• Total process was based on reactions, no proaction integrated
• No transparency on working process on supplier / developer side
• Low user tolerance / acceptance