No more hassle with the specification sheet: Continental is revolutionizing requirements management in product development with an innovative software application developed in-house. With the introduction of the so-called “AI-Based Requirements Engineering” tool, the automotive division is positioning itself even closer to the needs of customers and markets on its way to independence as a listed company. A key step in product development is significantly accelerated with the help of artificial intelligence. Development projects are also completed faster, more precisely and more efficiently overall for Continental customers. For this, Continental has now been named “Overall Winner” at the coveted “Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award”, which Microsoft Germany awards together with the global management consultancy Roland Berger. The award is also referred to in the industry as the “Oscar of the Manufacturing Industry”.
“With the new application based on Microsoft Azure AI Services, we are now entering a new era of requirements management,” says Philipp von Hirschheydt, Executive Board member for the Continental Automotive group sector. “Together with our technology partners, Microsoft and NTT DATA, we have developed a highly effective tool that makes a time-consuming step in product development significantly more efficient. This not only offers our customers significant added value but also provides our engineers with a reliable development tool to further strengthen our competitiveness.”
The new digital tool was developed in Microsoft Azure AI Services. With the help of artificial intelligence, the tool can read and analyze extensive specifications in an uncomplicated and virtually error-free manner. Individual requirements and project tasks can be automatically assigned to the appropriate Continental development centers. This can reduce the effort required for a traditionally time-consuming step by up to 80 percent.
New AI tool: Enabler for successful, effective automotive developments
Until now, specification sheets – the catalogs of requirements from clients for the development of components, software or automotive systems, which usually contain hundreds of pages – were processed manually. Experts in requirements management have invested up to 37,500 working hours in requirement engineering over the course of a development project. As system development and the scope of specifications become increasingly complex, it is crucial to structure requirements management much more efficiently.
The innovative analysis tool was developed at Continental in close collaboration with Microsoft and NTT DATA, a global leader in digital business and technology services. “With the Microsoft Azure AI Services development platform, we are providing technology companies with an important tool for realizing highly complex processes such as product development more efficiently and in a more up-to-date manner with the support of artificial intelligence. Continental is showing how a crucial interface with the customer can be designed in a much more targeted, reliable and effective way by realigning requirements management,” says Joachim Franz, Automotive Industry Lead at Microsoft Germany.
“As a trusted integration partner with extensive expertise in automotive engineering, we successfully collaborated on the creation of a customized AI solution. Together with Continental and Microsoft, we implemented an innovative, ready-to-use AI-based application. The final result demonstrates significant efficiency potential for Continental and showcases the actual value of AI for businesses,” explains Jens Krüger, Head of Global Automotive Engineering at NTT DATA.
The impeccable performance of the development tool implemented at Continental impressed the requirements engineering staff from day one. Training for the virtual tool takes less than an hour – after that, the advantages of AI-supported processing of specifications immediately become apparent. Important sections and terms in the task documents, which contain up to 30,000 individual requirements, are identified, extracted and assigned internally. The same repetitive steps are now completed automatically. Thanks to the AI support, engineers can complete many tasks much faster, thus advancing the development process. This means that the new tool is not a replacement for employees, but an enabler for a creative work environment. It serves as an intelligent assistant, enhancing efficiency by automating repetitive tasks and enabling engineers to focus on high-value, strategic aspects of product engineering.
Continental receives Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA)
The AI tool also supports Continental experts in updating specifications. In complex development projects, new customer requirements have to be coordinated, entered and redistributed to the correct departments at various points in the product creation process. This is a difficult process that previously generated additional time and costs. Following a successful test phase, the new AI-based requirements management system is now being made available to the development departments of all business units in Continental’s automotive division in order to accelerate even the most demanding projects and, at the same time, ensure their success with the highest degree of reliability.
The great potential of “AI-based Requirement Engineering” not only convinced the engineers at Continental, but also the jury of the renowned industry prize MIMA. Microsoft and the global management consultancy Roland Berger have now recognized the innovative technology solution as the “Overall Winner” at this year’s “Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award.” The MIMA recognizes forward-looking projects by companies in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region that make optimal use of the opportunities offered by end-to-end digitalized value chains. The application examples can range from digitalized product development to smart production and supply chain management to intelligent services and product portfolios.
SOURCE: Continental
