System Capability Feedback-Cycles in Automotive Software Development
Doktorsavhandling, 2023
Objective: This thesis explores how system-level feedback capabilities can be achieved in development of automotive systems.
Method: To investigate a real-world setting, empirical methods are a natural choice. As an overarching research strategy, field studies are conducted at automotive companies. Over four studies, qualitative data is collected through semi-structured and structured interviews, focus groups, and workshops. The data is analyzed using adaptable methods, such as thematic coding. These qualitative approaches allow for open-ended questions, which are suitable for exploratory research.
Findings: Transitioning towards agility changes the role of architecture, requirements, and in general of system-level artifacts previously finalized during early development phases. Nevertheless, what is covered by architecture and requirements still needs to be handled. They contain accumulated expertise, and fundamental concerns, such as safety, remain. However, automotive companies need to handle an increased importance of software for new feature development. Continuing business-as-usual is not an option.
Conclusion: To achieve feedback capabilities on the system-level, there is a need for tools and methods allowing artifacts on higher levels of abstraction, for example architecture descriptions and requirements, to be modified and evolve over the entire course of development.
Continuous Software Engineering
Automotive Systems Engineering
Requirements Engineering
Software Architecture
Författare
Magnus Ågren
Chalmers, Data- och informationsteknik, Interaktionsdesign och Software Engineering
Architecture evaluation in continuous development
Journal of Systems and Software,;Vol. 184(2022)
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift
The Impact of Requirements on Systems Development Speed: A Multiple-Case Study in Automotive
Requirements Engineering,;Vol. 24(2019)p. 315-340
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift
Automotive Architecture Framework: The experience of Volvo Cars
Journal of Systems Architecture,;Vol. 77(2017)p. 83-100
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift
Agile Beyond Teams and Feedback Beyond Software in Automotive Systems
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management,;Vol. In Press(2022)
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift
In systems with a mix of software, electronics, and mechanical components, for example cars, it is more difficult to achieve similar fast feedback on the level of the entire system. Compared with software, development of electronics and mechanical parts has long lead times. However, innovation in automotive technology is largely based on software. Electrification, and assisted and autonomous driving are increasing the amount of software in cars. This affects how cars are developed, as automotive companies adopt approaches from development of software-only systems, to gain the benefits of development speed and quick learning cycles possible in software development.
This thesis contributes to the knowledge about what happens during software development for continuously evolving automotive systems. It also provides suggestions for software development for such systems, and perspectives on their architecture and architecting.
Next generation electrical architecture
VINNOVA (2014-05599), 2015-01-15 -- 2017-12-31.
Styrkeområden
Informations- och kommunikationsteknik
Ämneskategorier
Programvaruteknik
Inbäddad systemteknik
ISBN
978-91-7905-791-6
Doktorsavhandlingar vid Chalmers tekniska högskola. Ny serie: 5257
Technical report - Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology and Göteborg University: 231D
Utgivare
Chalmers
Room Beta, Saga Building, Hörselgången 4
Opponent: Associate Professor Casper Lassenius, University of Aalto, Finland