Spotlights & Successes

Hybrid and electric vehicles are driving rapid advancements in the automotive industry, which have sparked the need for increasingly sophisticated software systems. Managing the development and approval of automotive software is a growing challenge as software becomes even more integral to vehicle performance and safety. The automotive industry has lacked a standardized framework to ensure consistent quality and effective collaboration across the supply chain.

To answer the need, a team of AIAG volunteer led by Eaton software engineering manager Wafa Khourchech have developed a process manual to help provide a structured and standardized framework for software approval in the automotive sector. The CQI-34 Software Assurance Approval Process (SwAAP) Work Group includes experts from leading OEMs and tier suppliers who collaborated to develop the SwAAP manual. The manual adapts the trusted Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) methodology to software, offering clarity, efficiency, and consistency, and enabling organizations to streamline approval processes, ensure top-tier quality, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry. Available exclusively as an e-document, the SwAAP manual supports future updates to align with technological advancements as they emerge.

Khourchech admits that the work was complex and took longer than expected, but the volunteers overcame the challenges because they were convinced of its importance. “The existing standards software is part of a product release, but the software lives on after the product is manufactured,” she explains. “We realized that what we are changing in the software impacts the product and the risk analysis connected to it, so any updates have to be compatible with the product. We are dealing with launches that are constantly evolving, so we have to find ways to ensure that the quality and efficiencies are there.”

The work group also had to consider different expectations from each OEM. “They are all experts in the discussion, but everyone has their own way of doing things,” Khourchech says. “That meant finding the right tone for the document.” Khourchech is proud of the SwAAP Work Group and its accomplishments. “We successfully launched the first release and incorporated most OEM feedback and opinions,” she says. “The next step is gathering more feedback from additional industry experts.” The work group continues to develop the tools and framework to support the process and implementation.

What’s next on the work group’s plate? Khourchech thinks it should be cybersecurity. “Cybersecurity is driving a lot of discussions in the industry right now as we examine threats and analysis,” she says. “We welcome more industry volunteers to help with this important work and share their views. No matter how many people you have working on things like this, it’s never enough.”