The difference between a strong and a weak automotive supplier can be as little as the difference between 99% perfect order fulfillment, and 90% perfect order fulfillment. In this regard, the automotive supply industry is a demanding environment like almost no other [1}. Compounding the harshness of this reality are the market-driven demands for ever-increasing quality, lower cost and shorter time to market for the very latest digital technologies.
To meet demands for lower cost without compromising quality, most successful suppliers of automotive electronics have been increasingly focusing on product and manufacturing process designs that can be built virtually anywhere in the world, and be moved at any time based on market and trade pressures. But to meet the demand for the magical combination of high tech, high quality, long life, and lower cost, it is becoming increasingly necessary to rely on new ideas for test systems and methodologies in all phases of the product life cycle. Through a focus on the concepts of commonization, interchangeability, reusability, replicate-ability and transportability for both hardware and software, this paper describes several such testing innovations. Case studies and process recommendations are presented for several product life cycle phases. The paper concludes with the suggestion of a generic methodology that is applicable to test development during both the product development and the manufacturing process development phases.