How to ensure that OEMs, suppliers and assessors speak the same language?

The release of the new version 4.0 of the Automotive SPICE® PAM together with the new VDA Guideline version 2.0 end of 2023 led to a lot of discussions which influence these new versions will have on project and assessment results. Now, more then 1 year after the release, 80% of all lead assessors visited the one-day intacs® Upgrade training, which shall prepare assessors in application of the new versions. In addition, the first intacs® Process Expert trainings have been performed based on Automotive SPICE® 4.0. Evaluation of assessment results have led to a lot of interesting feedback and discussions, if the concept changes were really understood by both, assessors and projects/organizations. Are assessment results comprehensive enough for the assessed project? Do found weaknesses really influence the project risks? Does anything need to be changed in internal standard processes to fulfill the needs? The presentation will try to answer these questions and will show feedback from OEMs, suppliers, and assessors. In addition, it will try to provide proposals how to treat these situations. The presentation is also intended to present the status of the discussion between VDA working group 13 and the intacs® working groups involved in ensuring that assessor qualification and application knowledge for development projects will not differ.

Short biography

For more than 25 years, Bernhard Sechser has been working with his colleagues, customers and partners to design and improve liveable processes that create real added value and do more than just help to meet standards. In working groups and committees on Automotive SPICE®, functional safety and cybersecurity, he works with other experts to develop solutions to make tomorrow’s world a little easier to understand. Whether in seminars or coaching sessions, he tries to give his participants practical answers to all their questions. And where this is not possible, he researches other options. As a long-standing member of the intacs® Advisory Board, he supports the international SPICE community by organizing regular meetings to exchange information with the Regional Representatives.