Mobility and the Road Ahead - S11

Technologies deliver data-driven benefits
Analyzing cross-industry data can enable OEMs and suppliers to
mainstream digitization. Microsoft, for example, has developed platform-as-a-service
to " mobilize " data with stakeholder insights.
Manufacturers rely less on hardware and physical prototypes,
and OEMs are committing earlier in the design process. " The trick,
though, is the division of labor between what is digital and what is
manual, " said Marc LaPlante, global business development director
at Ricardo Software.
Advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning help
companies use data to deliver improved projects, products and services.
With more information representing the physical world, data is
essential to creating training models, making predictions, detecting
anomalies and identifying patterns.
Predictive maintenance and data sharing
Companies can extract tangible value from product data and predictive
technologies. For example, PACCAR is identifying benefits
from its connected trucks. " We're starting to predict when issues are
going to happen and get them resolved before the customer has any
issues, " Gerty said.
Prakriya suggests that new data-driven R&D and product development
opportunities exist. " We have the opportunity to think about
new business models that cover the entire life cycle of ownership-
and perhaps multiowner ownership of vehicles-opportunities for
better engagement, better convenience, better safety, better entertainment
and then, of course, better cost management, " she said.
With customization comes the opportunity to employ data to optimize
individual businesses. " As we continue to gain insights into our customers,
we're developing new data that we find manufacturing value in, "
said John Bogema, manager of powertrain CAE and data at Ford Motor
Co. " But this same process is happening at the governmental level
[and] is adding data in emissions tracking and monitoring. This allows
us to have some insight into the operation, allows us to compare with
other manufacturers and find ways to bring changes to the vehicle. "
Challenges
Complexities in the digitization process spur new challenges, creating
a learning curve for engineers and production teams as companies
create digital-twin simulations and other high-tech toolsets.
" The key challenge is having quality data in the right context, " said
Tomczak. " There is no point in doing decision-making that has
health, safety and other consequences if the data is incorrect. "
Said Bogema: " Thinking about product development, to be the most
effective, we have to get the data in the hands of the experts, the
engineers that have that core knowledge of system operation. ... But
they really need to be paired with the operational teams to extract
insights in the fastest way. "
The road ahead
The panelists agreed that these are exciting times for digitizing
product development. While there's still a long way to go, the promise
of success has been motivating.
From a powertrain perspective, things are changing rapidly-not just
in electrification and propulsion but also in leveraging connected
data to improve products and the customer experience. " We're going
to have to bring the subject matter experts into the upfront design
of what data should be collected and what that means moving forward, "
Bogema said.
LaPlante was more circumspect. " There's still a great deal of room
for human expertise in all of this, but just figuring out what we're
good at versus what the machines are good at I think is going to be
the real path forward, " he said.
Prakriya concluded: " There is a lot of opportunity in technology-the
technology of digital twins, the technology of edge computing, the
technology of data and data integration. It's a really exciting time in
terms of new mobility business models and really that freedom and
mobility of the data that's going to power these opportunities. "
www.ricardo-northamerica.com/events/ricardo-mobility-summit-2021/
For more information, or to watch each of the
MOBILITY AND THE ROAD AHEAD * 11
Ricardo Mobility Summit sessions on demand, visit
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Mobility and the Road Ahead

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