Simplifying advanced computing

SAE 100 Future look: There is no doubt the world is changing. Global competition and sourcing, cost pressures, safety, and environmental concerns are just a few evolving realities facing the automotive industry today.

Process optimization, operational changes, and technology innovations all must be brought to bear. It becomes a daunting challenge of breaking traditional legacy and cultural barriers while maintaining the industry's reliable repeatability.

Traditional approaches are being challenged on a regular basis. Consolidation of global design control is leading to reusable vehicle platforms and efficiencies in standard part utilization, and this in turn supports global sourcing of engineering resources where they are most available. Simultaneously, greater amounts of effort are being applied to innovation within existing vehicle lines, while larger shares of R&D go to future technologies such as alternative power and safety systems rather than traditional refinement. Strategic resources such as “heads of process” and “global product development czars” are proliferating.