Enhancing Full Time Equivalents' (FTEs') Operational Efficiency in OEM's Vehicle Test Programs

The Client

Our client is a leading original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specializing in on-highway trucks and both diesel and electric powertrains.

Market Overview

Connectivity and autonomous technologies are pushing on-highway transportation OEMs to reimagine their potential in future transportation applications. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requires OEMs to ensure safe product performance, necessitating vehicle testing under various physical operating conditions.

Automotive OEMs are continually developing new R&D testing and simulation technologies to accelerate time-to-market and optimize the return on research investments. Maintaining operational efficiencies is crucial to achieving business objectives and maximizing the return on resource allocation. However, OEMs still face challenges in achieving the same results with virtual R&D test technologies compared to physical vehicle testing under different practical conditions.

For automotive OEMs, what would an optimum physical vehicle test program look like in terms of resource allocation, execution, investment, and return on investment?

The Challenge

The commercial truck industry faces the challenge of developing and validating vehicles to meet California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) emissions standards in a shorter timeframe compared to passenger cars. Ensuring these vehicles comply with state CARB emissions standards and incorporate automated safety features like active braking, blind spot assistance, and lane assistance, while maintaining operator safety and performance standards, requires significant resources. Like other OEMs, our client must allocate several full-time equivalents (FTEs) to test vehicles and manage resources under various operating conditions.

Our client, an innovation-focused organization, aims to develop prototype vehicles and integrate cutting-edge technology into their products. To achieve this, their FTEs need to focus on R&D advancements, limiting the time available for managing physical testing. This includes:

• Planning summer and winter tests in various operating conditions and geographies
• Overseeing test schedules
• Allocating resources to various test sites
• Managing the tests
• Continually improving and developing resources for high-quality data acquisition from the start

This high-quality data, used as both an output and an outcome, helps our client’s R&D organizations free up significant resources and bandwidth. This allows these organizations to utilize the outcomes instead of managing mundane tasks within their R&D programs, ultimately improving the return on research dollars.

The Actalent Solution

Collaborating with multiple cross-functional teams, our client relies on Actalent to oversee and manage all aspects of testing and design verification plan & review (DVP&R). Our expert team comprising of project managers, test engineers, data scientists, and test technicians, handles every facet of the process, including:

• Managing the test pipeline when client requests are submitted
• Prospecting, selecting, and implementing instrumentation suites (e.g., Kistler, TECAT, ECM, Vector, CSM, AVL PEMS) to support development and DVP&R
• Validating test parameters and ensuring all hardware, instrumentation, and software meet client testing and data acquisition specifications
• Scheduling vehicle locations, test engineers, technicians, and all logistics for each test
• Gathering, analyzing, and compiling test data
• Test scheduling and prioritization
• Manage test site travel and expenses
• Implementing test data management strategies, including instrumentation, collection/acquisition, transfer, analysis best practices, and continuous improvement
• Optimal allocation and reallocation of test team members
• Standardized onboarding, program orientation, training, and upskilling for quick effectiveness and resource efficiency
• Team member engagement, retention, succession planning, and continuous development
• Conducting tests in various environments, including:
• Environmental chambers (closed environment)
• Local tests
• Proving grounds
• Remote testing for sea level, altitude, and temperature variations

We prepare daily and seasonal reports and dashboards, accompanied by objective data and subjective recommendations based on Actalent’s team of engineers’ extensive experience and testing knowledge.

The Results

By managing all aspects of testing execution and test resource management, Actalent has developed a solution to outsource testing capabilities for their client base. This solution is tailored to free up a significant amount of the client’s FTE R&D and management bandwidth, focusing on operational efficiency as a service.

Actalent has a proven track record, successfully setting up a scalable testing model over the past 10+ years through a self-managed team, thereby freeing up R&D and engineering management FTEs’ bandwidth.

Engage With Us and Learn More

We understand that every OEM, tier, or subsidiary is different, with unique challenges and FTE allocation strategies for optimum return on investment. What would an optimal FTE allocation look like for your business?

Want to learn more? Get in touch with an expert today.