The newly created board department for software at Volkswagen is intended to accelerate the integration of systems in cars and all platforms in the group equally. “In terms of content, industrial and vehicle IT must first be represented together,” said works council boss Bernd Osterloh on 29. Dec. 2020 of the German Press Agency. “IT platforms have to be set up across the entire group – beyond the planning for more own applications in the cars.”

Osterloh expects a member of the board There are already suggestions for filling the leading position; Osterloh is “firmly counting on a board member.” In the largest car group in the world, responsibility for this part of the overarching technology development lies with Audi boss Markus Duesmann. In the middle of the year he had taken over the task from manager Christian Senger, who is now in charge of research on autonomous driving in the group To raise three-digit million amounts per year, “says Osterloh, assessing the efficiency reserves that were in the IT systems used up to now. More coordination is required for procurement software, finances, production and sales.

More added value from own applications Volkswagen has been building an internal software division since the middle of 2020. CEO Herbert Diess is aiming for a “Car Software Company” – the added value from self-programmed applications should increase. In doing so, however, one should not forget the optimization of classic administrative systems, for example, warned Osterloh: “The IT in the company does not yet have the status it should have.”

A manager “at the top” is necessary to guide improvements. “What does IT have to look like in such a large company in five years? What potential for optimization still exists between the brands in the group? For this we need someone with their own responsibility, the topic is simply very important.”

(fpi)