Managing an ISO 26262 Safety Case: A Software System Perspective

A key component of developing a safety-critical automotive system in compliance with ISO 26262 is developing what is known as the safety case. This delivery justifies that the system is free from unreasonable risk and that the safety requirements are complete and satisfied according to evidence from ISO 26262 work products. However, the standard provides neither practical guidance on how the safety case should be developed, nor how the safety argument should be evaluated in the functional safety assessment process.

This paper discusses quality and product readiness of the system under development in the context of safety case generation. We will focus on the software level and ISO 26262-6 requirements that relate to this. We will look at the software lifecycle of the system and how to measure and deliver key data throughout this lifecycle. A major focus will be on how to best homogenize quality data and monitor critical software quality indicators that contribute to argumentation of the safety case. Finally, we will present a solution that helps managers tackle obstacles that may arise from project beginning to delivery of the safety case, particularly at software level.