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Project management in the automotive industry: new methods as an opportunity in the crisis
During the COVID-19 pandemic, project management in particular must function effectively. Find out more here.
Antje Kloß
Jun 14, 2023
Project management in the automotive industry is currently facing many challenges. The pandemic triggered by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the resulting economic consequences are forcing both manufacturers and suppliers to implement cost-cutting measures. At the same time, the expansion of electromobility will require major investments. Massive investment costs in vehicle development and infrastructure will be compounded by declining income from operations in 2020. Irrespective of this, factories will have to be converted to the special requirements of e-mobility or built from scratch in the meantime. For the production line, for example, these include higher fire safety requirements.
For these reasons, it is important to have effective project management for upcoming projects. The automotive industry has great potential for savings through the digitalisation of many processes related to project management. It is precisely the flexibility of a software solution, made possible by individualisation options for different projects, that makes a decisive contribution to progress.
Project management: savings with new methods
In the field of project management, digital methods can lead to great savings. Project management software that is completely specialized in digital processes helps to make them more effective, find problems faster and thus work much more economically overall. Especially in times of crisis, these savings are very welcome for OEMs and suppliers of special components, such as certain parts of the new drive technologies.
The influence of the new technologies on project management software and general project management itself is relatively small: While the components and milestones vary according to the changed requirements, the processes themselves remain similar or even completely the same. Users benefit – because they can continue to use a software solution that has been established and optimised through experience.
Project management: concrete saving potentials
The digitalisation of project management signals massive changes for the automotive industry in the areas of communication, organization and monitoring.
Communication and organisation within the company will become much easier with a common software as a basis. Ideally, numerous interfaces to other programs can already be accessed, with which data can be exchanged quickly and in a compatible manner. Stored information is available to employees with the appropriate access rights at any time and anywhere thanks to the common structure. Individually adjustable authorisations contribute to clear internal communication chains and organisation. These measures save important time and money in project management.
A digital system for project management is also a great relief for monitoring. Based on the original construction plans, an individual overview is created for each project, in which progress, such as completed actions, can be noted. Project managers receive updates in just a few steps and are thus always informed about the latest developments.
Project management and automotive industry: success with COMAN’s methods
COMAN is ideally suited for project management in the automotive industry. The software can be customised to meet the specific needs of different customers and projects and thus offers a reliable basis for long-term quality in automotive mechanical and plant engineering. In the crisis triggered by COVID-19, COMAN as a software solution for project management can contribute massively to savings in this area and thus support a company as a whole.
Overall, the digitisation of project management for the automotive industry offers savings opportunities through better, tighter processes, clearer communication and more effective monitoring. Tasks can be completed more quickly and schedules can be better adhered to. These all-round improvements also significantly reduce the risk of error chains.
The switch to electromobility in particular will necessitate a large number of new projects in the near future – and the ratio of production from conventional to electric cars will gradually shift in favor of the latter. COMAN has been able to gain experience through various orders in this segment and is therefore well prepared for these challenges.