OEM&Lieferant Ausgabe 1/2020

103 than a passenger airplane. In 2010, this fig- ure was still below 50 million lines of code, and this trend is expected to continue to rise sharply. In addition to physical tests on roads or test tracks, Formel D also performs func- tional tests on vehicle software. This ensures that the vehicle behaves exactly as desired in everypotential driving situation. Byacquiring Vdynamics GmbH, the Group has further boosted its content, methods and person- nel in this area and can offer its customers an even greater service package than before. In order to efficiently test software of proto- types and production vehicles, specific test environments must be set up. This requires extensive hardware and software resources, operating systems, interfaces, data, and the latest tools. Another distinguishing factor is the technical expertise of the employees. Therefore, Formel D attaches great impor- tance to the fact that the staff is optimally trained for their different application areas in the corresponding projects. It is also im- portant that all team members contribute to an agile and adaptable project strategy, based on the SCRUM model. Depending on the type and scope of the project, the Group assembles teams of experts from its certified ISTQB testers, test managers, test architects, and test environment man- agers with appropriate experience in the configuration, execution and evaluation of test cases. They work in teams to check if new software updates are ready for re- lease. Checking the functionality of the software in relation to other software en- vironments in the vehicle is also important. Formel D relies on manual testing and in- creasingly also on automatic testing. After checking to see if the software is ready for release, Formel D makes a release recom- mendation to its customers. Integration of Vdynamics GmbH into the Formel D Group For more than 25 years, global service pro- vider Formel D has developed concepts and scalable solutions for quality assurance and process optimization along the entire automotive value chain – from product de- velopment and production to aftersales. Founded in 1993 with around 60 employ- ees in Troisdorf near Cologne, the quality service provider now employs over 12,000 people and is represented across the globe with more than 90 locations in 22 countries. The Formel D Group’s subsidiaries include CPS Quality, Formel K GmbH, and since September 2019, also Vdynamics GmbH. Vdynamics was founded in 2012 and cur- rently employs around 100 staff members in Munich – mainly engineers. Featuring a 37,600 ft2 (3,500 m2) workshop and 27,000 ft2 (2,500 m2) of office space, the service provider carries out its certified testing pro- Formel D GmbH www.formeld.com Website cesses on cutting-edge testing equipment tailored to the specific prototype. After inte- gration into the Group, Vdynamics will con- tinue to offer its services under its existing company name. By focusing on software testing in vehicle development, Vdynamics perfectly complements Formel D’s existing range of services. With the acquisition of Vdynamics, Formel D has underpinned its claim as a partner for holistic testing and validation solutions in the automotive industry. The Group plans to expand this position in the coming years through additional continuous growth. Image: © 7postman/www.istockphoto.com Image: © zapp2photo/stock.adobe.com