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Continental Automotive, Division Powertrain: ALM Tool Rollout

The Powertrain Division of Continental is concerned with the integration of innovative and efficient system solutions regarding drive trains in all classes of vehicles. The objective of all of our developments is to make driving a vehicle more affordable and more environmentally sensitive and to provide drivers with the greatest possible comfort and driving enjoyment.To meet the high requirements for developing engine control, the Powertrain Business Unit Engine Systems is introducing the Application Lifecycle Management Tool Integrity by PTC (formerly MKS). Integrity manages all of the processes of system and software development and connects all development artifacts (including requirements, models, code and tests). In this way, PTC Integrity offers traceability across the entire system and software life cycle. Method Park contributed to the development of a customer-specific Integrity solution. This solution represents a tool configuration that is consistent across the corporation in all of the 14 Continental Automotive Business Units located all over the world. The goal is to support users to work in conformity with existing processes and standards that are security relevant, such as ISO 26262 and SPICE. With over 1000 developers at ten locations distributed across the globe, introducing MKS was in itself a great challenge for Powertrain Engine Systems. To ensure the smoothest possible transition from the established tool chain, the introduction of PTC Integrity will be implemented in multiple steps: various components will be converted to PTC by degrees. The initial focus here will be on workflow and version management. In the Powertrain Business Unit Engine Systems, Method Park is primarily providing support for the roll-out of the solution, with an emphasis on training and coaching for end users.

One of the critical points in a project as comprehensive as the business-wide roll-out of a tool like PTC Integrity is training the users. From the Method Park trainers, together with freelancer Paul-Roux Wentzel, we received professional support for creating and revising training materials and the global implementa-tion of user training sessions. The trainers quickly understood the working methods that our pilot group used with Integrity and can now communicate them to our end users in the training. This specific and practical training for dealing with the tool ensures a quick switch to PTC Integrity and to Integrity Solution IMS, specifically developed for Continental.