Audi’s Software Development Center has set itself the mission of developing smart, scalable, customer-centric and secure IT solutions in house. In Ingolstadt, a short distance away from the Audi plant, AUDI AG has opened its first SDC in the Volkswagen Group. This location was deliberately chosen so that employees can enjoy a new space conducive to new ways of thinking away from their traditional working environment while still allowing them to maintain close personal contact with the commissioning specialist areas at the Audi plant. To bundle digital knowhow of the AUDI IT and continue along the road of swift and efficient expansion, Audi decided to bring together software developers, UX designers and cloud platform specialists in a single organization at the new location. The proximity and intensive dialog among team members within the SDC mean that solutions can developed quickly and with a whole lot of creative thinking.
“Thanks to the Software Development Center, we are setting new standards in agile software development in our teams and so ensuring faster product development with enhanced quality and a greater value creation depth for the Group,” says Frank Loydl, Chief Information Officer of AUDI AG.
Audi is deploying small teams and agile methods in its day-to-day work in the SDC. To encourage this, the interior design and office equipment at the new location have also been specially aligned with the needs of employees and methodical requirements. To create synergies with the existing SDCs, the Audi SDC has been seamlessly integrated in the VW Group’s network. This not only prevents the duplication of work but also speeds up and enhances the quality of in-house development over the long term. “We are working at the level of the Volkswagen Group with the same technical platforms and in accordance with the same methods and standards,” says Thomas Bittighofer, Head of the Software Development Center in Ingolstadt. “This means that we are constantly sharing data and experience and so helping to build new skills all the time.” The early fruits of the SDC’s efforts have already been successfully implemented in the specialist areas. A couple of examples include a process platform for product marketing and a solution for marketing used cars.
In the future, too, the Software Development Center will be seeking to take on projects of high strategic relevance for Audi. Short development cycles, close collaboration with the different departments and rapid, high-quality results are vital here. A Software Development Center is also being built at Audi’s Neckarsulm plant, with the focus here being on digital production and logistics. On the basis of the “digital production platform” (DPP) of the Volkswagen Group, this location will be responsible for developing high-performance IT solutions for the smart, connected factory. The SDC will also be part of an interdisciplinary network of expertise for factory transformation and innovation in the Heilbronn region and will in the future work together with “XL2,” a joint venture founded by Audi and Capgemini.
