Integrated Automotive SPICE and safety assessments

In 2005 Automotive SPICE (based on ISO 15504) has been published (see ) and used in major automotive firms world wide. In parallel the topic ‘Functional Safety’ became important due to changes in liability law and the development of IEC 61508 as an application and branch independent standard for functional safety. As a result, ISO WD 26262 a ISO draft for functional safety has been initiated classifying systems with ASIL (automotive safety integrity levels) levels and requiring additional processes, techniques, and methods to illustrate the competence for managing systems that have an impact on the loss of lives. An Automotive SPICE assessment usually takes (for the processes defined in the scope of the German automotive manufacturing association) 4 days per project. Adding the scope of a safety assessment this dramatically increases the number of hours used in assessments. In a working group of major automotive suppliers and assessment tool suppliers, we developed from 2005 to 2009 an integrated assessment approach. Portals in the above-mentioned automotive suppliers already use this environment. The working group that elaborated the methods and tools described in this paper are part of the SOQRATES initiative () where more than 20 leading German firms collaborate in cross-company task forces. In this paper, we want to explain the results of the analysis done, the assessment model applied, and what kind of reports the integrated assessment environment is producing. The results of all work (except of the proprietary assessment tools) will be made public to all suppliers in 2009. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.