Software Defined Vehicles
How IT solutions help carmakers accelerate transformation
As vehicles become more software-intensive and development cycles accelerate, the automotive industry depends increasingly on specialised IT partners.
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From connected factories to cloud-driven vehicle development: digital tools and services have become a foundational element of the automotive industry. Here’s how new IT solutions help manufacturers boost efficiency, reduce risks and accelerate innovation.
The automotive industry is undergoing a deep structural
shift that places software and IT services at the centre of competitiveness. As
manufacturers face tighter development cycles, increasingly complex supply
chains and the rise of software-defined products,
digital tools are moving from support systems to strategic assets. A wave of
new partnerships, platforms and cloud architectures shows how vendors are
helping carmakers modernise processes from the factory floor to enterprise IT.
Automation platforms reshape enterprise processes
Software provider Forterro and Swiss ETH spin-off blp have
introduced AI-driven automation for ERP workflows involving incoming and
outgoing documents. The system interprets the content, validates it against the
correct ERP fields and processes the transaction automatically. According to
Forterro, this enables end-to-end execution without manual intervention. The
company reports automation rates of 60 to 70 per cent out of the box, rising to
85 per cent once fully configured in mid-sized enterprises.
Cloud-native architectures are gaining ground as well. As
part of its “RISE with SAP” initiative, BMW has migrated key processes in
production logistics and finance onto a modern, service-oriented SAP cloud
platform. CIO Alexander Buresch highlights improved efficiency, quality and
automation across business-critical workflows. A central component is the
digital “Prozesskette Teile” (PKT), which coordinates all in-house and
supplier-sourced components across the production network of the Bavarian OEM.
Consultancy Unity and software provider Contact Software
have also entered into a partnership designed to close the gap between
strategic process design and operational IT implementation. Unity contributes
its “Code the Product” methodology — which applies software-like development
logic to physical products — while Contact Software delivers the modular
Elements platform for product lifecycle management. Together, they aim to
modernise PLM for the era of software-defined products and embed AI systematically
across engineering workflows.
Ecosystem collaborations strengthen digital mobility
services
GlobalLogic and Volvo Cars are intensifying their
collaboration on digital mobility experiences. The Hitachi-owned engineering
specialist contributes distributed development teams, deep automotive domain
knowledge and more than two decades of software and connected-car development.
The partnership spans the full vehicle lifecycle, from early platform work to
production-ready software features.
Across these initiatives, a clear pattern emerges: as
vehicles become more software-intensive and development cycles accelerate,
manufacturers depend increasingly on specialised IT partners. Whether through
AI-powered process automation, cloud-native enterprise systems, modular PLM
platforms or lifecycle-spanning engineering services, IT
solutions are rapidly reshaping how automotive companies design, build and
maintain their products.
