Report: Climate Change vs. Carmakers
Report: Automotive headwinds align into a perfect storm
Over the past two years, Volkswagen’s central Group IT division, led by CIO Martin Hofmann, has been expanding staff numbers, investment and digital projects across the group’s business processes, and working more closely with brands like Audi, Porsche and Skoda. In the first of a multi-part article special on Group IT, automotiveIT International explains the evolving shape of the organization.
Group IT is a key example of how Volkswagen is reshaping its management structure, culture and even its business model.
In the past two years, the department has been ramping up its investment and implementation of IT projects as well as reorganizing to deliver IT services and innovations through a stronger matrix organization – one which is both integrated as a central management team at Volkswagen Group, but also distributed across the company’s brands and major regions.
For vice-president and group chief information officer Martin Hofmann, who has led Group IT at Volkswagen since 2011, the changes reflect how IT has shifted across the industry from being the “order takers” in a support function, to driving core business decisions.
“We are at the forefront of business transformation. We develop and bring in new technology, we shape standards and collaboration,” he says. “The responsibility and requirements have increased, and so has our need to be more proactive.”
To continue reading this article and others like it, please SIGN-IN or REGISTER FREE today.
Register free now to stay up-to-date with the latest industry developments, trends, and analysis, to find in-depth reports and intelligence and to connect with your peers.
Your free registration includes:
Gain access to our exclusive content and features register today
Non-registered users are able to access two AIT exclusive articles per week. You have now used your allocation.
To continue reading this article and others like it, please SIGN-IN or REGISTER FREE today.
The Volkswagen brand is the first car manufacturer to have a board member in charge of software. In an interview, Christian Senger talks about the sea change within the company, software as a core competency and changes in supplier management.
A squeeze on automotive suppliers, together with the adaptation of new technology, will lead some major players to play a bigger role in overall vehicle development cycles, especially in shaping customer user experiences
As OEMs and automotive parts suppliers see their margins decline, cost pressures are going to increase on logistics operations and service providers further down the supply chain
Skoda has deployed a new supercomputer that will allow it to conduct more powerful aerodynamics simulations and develop new safety features and engines.
Audi is deploying robots to help human workers carrying out monotonous tasks at their desks.
Stefan Issing, global industry director for automotive at Swedish software company IFS, believes in modular solutions. He spoke to automotiveIT about cost pressures in the automotive sector and the future of ERP and RPA software.
