While every industry experiences its fair share of fluidity, the automotive sector is particularly volatile. Manufacturing companies must constantly adapt to changing consumer demands and preferences, whether for high-tech amenities, greater fuel economy, or more advanced safety features.
The question is, how can automotive manufacturers stay on top of these trends, retaining their competitive edge? One way to remain adaptive is to be vigilant about effective roadmapping. And there’s no better way to roadmap than by using a roadmap software.
Consider just a few of the ways in which PRM can help automotive companies navigate a fluid, ever-changing industry.
Major Trends Shaping the Automotive Industry
To begin with, consider some of the trends that have proven most disruptive to the auto industry over the past several years.
Electric Vehicles (EVs)
It’s hard to deny the environmental toll that traditional, gas-powered vehicles can take. As more consumers grow in their environmental awareness, auto manufacturers have slowly started shifting toward more “green” technologies, with EVs at the top of the heap. Automotive engineers remain committed to innovating long-lasting and performance-optimizing batteries and other types of fuel cells.
Self-Driving Vehicles
Another major trend is the rise of autonomous, or self-driving, cars. These vehicles have proven themselves capable of greatly improving safety standards, particularly by cutting back on accidents related to driver fatigue or neglect. It’s also worth noting that autonomous cars have a positive effect on the environment, reducing carbon emissions considerably. Automotive manufacturers can expect the demand for self-driving cars to keep rising, especially among commercial trucking and logistics companies.
Connected Cars
As digital technology expands its footprint within the automotive sector, more and more cars will come with predictive intelligence and maintenance features. Connected cars are designed so that they can communicate wirelessly with services and systems beyond their local network, while also transmitting remote diagnostics and vehicle health reports.
Digital Sales
A final trend for automotive manufacturers to be aware of is the tilt toward digital auto sales. A lot of the leading dealerships now offer a fully digital shopping experience, allowing customers to select, customize, finance, and purchase their cars without spending any real time in a showroom. Home test drives and vehicle deliveries have further revolutionized the auto sales experience. Needless to say, these trends have only become more acute post-pandemic.
The Role of PRM
Clearly, there are a number of ongoing disruptions in the automotive manufacturing industry. Thankfully, PRM can make it much easier for manufacturers to keep pace. Consider just a few examples.
Milestone Tracking
One of the most significant features you’ll find in PRM is long-term milestone tracking. Simply put, milestone tracking provides project managers with a way to keep their eye on long-term goals. And while it’s certainly important to set clear short-term and medium-term goals, the best PRM also supports long-term milestones. This allows product development teams to monitor their progress toward big-picture goals with regard to fuel efficiency and technological integration. And it allows for milestones to be adjusted as the surrounding automotive landscape changes.
Cross-Collaboration
PRM tools also enable an ease of collaboration between remote teams, all of whom can use the PRM platform for cloud-based file-sharing and for a single source of truth. In short, this promotes more reliable decision-making, faster response times, and a more fruitful collaborative experience overall. As automotive manufacturers seek adaptivity and nimbleness, this high level of cross-collaboration is key.
Feature-Mapping
Automotive manufacturers also benefit from cross-portfolio feature mapping. This function allows teams to quickly see the list of features available for products across the entire product line, or family. This is especially important when developing new products, or for iterating new versions of an existing product.
Map Dependencies
PRM also makes it easy for teams to visualize their own interconnectedness; for example, for one team to complete one of its benchmarks, they may first need another team to finish a particular design or to source a specific part. The ability to map these dependencies is essential for ensuring a responsive team, ready and able to adjust according to shifting trends or broader market swings.
High-Level Product Portfolio Views
Finally, it’s worth noting that PRM provides a way for product development teams to quickly take stock of their entire product portfolio. Taking a high-level view makes it much simpler to assess current gaps or opportunities, whether that’s for rolling out an affordable EV or for enhancing the digital sales experience.
PRM Helps Auto Companies Navigate Trends
The bottom line: Every industry sees the occasional shift, but few experience the fluidity of the automotive manufacturing sector. For product managers, it’s essential to use every available tool to keep pace and to remain competitive. And few tools are more valuable here than a good PRM software solution.
Bio:
MaziarAdl serves as the head of operations for Gocious, a Southern California-based venture specializing in providing manufacturers with a cutting-edge product roadmap platform. This platform is designed to catalyze enhanced product innovation within the discrete manufacturing sector. In his role, Mr. Adl assumes responsibility for overseeing the entire lifecycle of Gocious products and features, from conceptualization to implementation and development.
With a well-established track record, MaziarAdl has a rich history of spearheading automation and digital transformation initiatives across various organizations. His strategic leadership ensures that these entities remain competitive by harnessing the latest technological advancements and staying attuned to evolving organizational trends.
