Automotive SPICE®: Frequently Asked Questions

why-reuse-is-hard
Why is Reuse so Hard?
2019-02-28
Automotive-Spice-Trainings
ASPICE Training ROI. Myth or Reality?
2019-03-22

Automotive SPICE®

The process assessment model (PAM) of Automotive SPICE® defines base practices for capability level 1 and general practices for higher capability levels. In ASPICE assessments, the rating of these practices is used to determine the capability level of a particular process in the assessment scope.

There are five capability levels: CL1 – Performed. CL2 – Managed. CL3 – Established. CL4 Predictable. CL5 – Innovating.

Learn more on our ASPICE training page how you can receive hands-on training for your career.

Please download our free ASPICE® pocket guide containing detailed information on rating and capability levels in compressed form.
Download Automotive SPICE® eBook now
ASPICE-Guide-KM2021-01

Projects in the automotive industry have often hundreds of engineers involved. Thousands of requirements need to be analyzed and later qualified in system tests.
Automotive SPICE® (System/Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination) was introduced to help OEMs and their suppliers to manage the complexity in processes based on best practices and lessons learned. Quality assurance helps the product to become better. Automotive SPICE® supports the project to improve how the car component is developed and introduces a measurement to determine the capability of processes by defining base practices and general practices.
In ASPICE® assessments, the processes get a score for their capability level.

ASPICE® Assessment

There is no clear cut answer to this question since projects vary in size, locations, organizational units, etc. that need to be assessed. In our free KM pocket guide, you find a chapter KM Assessment Process where we different assessment phases are explained. For a typical VDA scope assessment with single process representation and one location, we usually plan 8 working days with 5 days on-site questionnaires.

Automotive SPICE® assessments produce a report specifically for your assessed project. This report certifies the capability level of this specific project at a particular point in time. It is also possible to get a minimum of three projects of a business unit assessed to receive a report certifying the capability level of the business unit. Companies reaching ASPICE CL3 have an excellent chance to maintain the capability level also for succeeding projects over time.

Please contact us to find out more about how Knüvner Mackert can help you on your journey.
Contact Us

Knüvener Mackert has put a lot of energy into composing an Automotive SPICE® pocket guide for you. You find diagrams explaining ASPICE® in a nutshell. The booklet is especially useful for assessors or automotive project members, who need to know what basic and general practices you need to put into practice to achieve the capability level accordingly.

ASPICE-Guide-KM2021-01
Download Automotive SPICE® eBook now

The assessment team consists of intacs™ certified Automotive Assessors. The assessment team leader must be a certified Competent or Principal Assessor.

The assessor certification and certification level can be checked under www.intacs.info.

During the assessment, a team of certified assessors performs a systematic evaluation of the system and software development processes and capability levels of the projects in focus. Typically, a predefined set of ASPICE® processes (so-called VDA scope) is analyzed in one project. As a result, the assessed company will not only have an analysis of whether they are complying with the normative or not but also, they will receive guidance on how to fulfill the requirements to become ASPICE® certified.

An ASPICE® Assessment makes the strengths and potentials of the development processes visible. It shows the risks caused by process weaknesses. It also enables the organization to understand their current situation, helping to identify process areas that require improvement and to understand the potential benefits of implementing an ASPICE®-based development model.

Automotive SPICE®, also known as ASPICE®, is a standard used as a framework for improving and evaluating processes. The focus is on processes for the development of software-based systems. An ASPICE® Assessment is a systematic evaluation of the capability level of an organizational unit’s processes against the ASPICE® model.

In other words, within an assessment, your current processes are mapped to and compared with the best practices for software and software-based system development for the automotive industry.

Automotive SPICE® Training

We will email you a zoom meeting invitation for the time of the exam. Have everything you need available, visit the bathroom before this time and get ready for the exam. Please connect to zoom and enter the waiting room. Turn your webcam, microphone and chat functions on. Once all participants are in the waiting room you will be admitted to the exam session. We will briefly recap on the instructions. An ID question will be asked and once the examiner has confirmed that all are ready to start, the Socrative exam will be initiated. We would ask you to remain quiet during the exam preparation and exam unless you have a question or are asked a question.

Please have the reference materials you need printed and ready for use. We have found that using tabs between the exam and your reference materials greatly increases the possibility of accidently closing the exam tab. This means you lose the time needed to reconnect. The exam is 60 minutes for native speakers and 90 minutes for all others in duration and has 75 questions.

Only true/false questions are used.

If something goes wrong – contact the examiner by speaking or raising your hand or using the chat function. Be aware that all group participants will hear your comments if you speak but only the examiner will see chat content. We are recording the Audio and written chat feeds to show that the exam was conducted according to the intacs rules.
If your zoom connection is cut – log back into zoom, and to the meeting, you can continue the exam.
If you can’t connect to Socrative or your connection is broken, tell your examiner. They will help you reconnect. If you need to log into Socrative more than once you will have to navigate to where you left off and complete the remaining questions. If you accidently “finish” the exam you will have to start over from the first question again.
If you completely lose your internet connection don’t panic. We will work out what to do once you are reconnected. If this takes longer than the exam session then email us at  automotivespice@vda-qmc.de as soon as possible.

Participants agree not to disseminate the examination content in any way.
Participants must be alone for the exam. No questions regarding content are permitted. No chatting and no electronic devices except the computer/laptop necessary to complete the exam are permitted. Mobile phones should be turned off and away from the desktop area for the examination. The only exception is when using your mobile phone to run zoom or Socrative. Your webcam and microphone must be left on. Audio and chat will be recorded.
The examination will be classed as invalid if cheating occurs.

For the online exam you will need a stable internet connection and a webcam to participate. We use the two applications zoom-pro and Socrative. We will issue you with a zoom meeting invitation and later 2 Socrative passwords to start the actual exam. Please remember, you have the choice whether to take the online exam at the end of your online training or wait for a classroom-based paper exam at a later date. By sending back the required documents and information listed below you agree to take the online exam and agree to the rules given below. The exam is in English and German.

To organise your exam, we need the following information from you

  • The email address you wish us to use for the exam.
  • Your company name and physical address.
  • We also require a scan (or image) of a photo ID document (Company ID, Passport ID page, National ID card etc.). This document must contain your image, full name and date of birth. Non-relevant information such as the document number can be edited out.

Knüvener Mackert offers a wide variety of ASPICE® trainings for you. Please read more on our training page and learn how you and your team can obtain the skills needed for your specific situation.

Don’t hesitate to contact us and ask us for a tailor-made solution for your company.

Contact Us

Agile SPICE®

Agile and APICE have historically only little in common. In modern development units, AGILE methodologies are used to deliver product versions according to automotive life cycles typical milestones. Read more in our Blog “Agile SPICE™ is the bridge to Automotive SPICE™” or contact us for further information.

 

Contact Us

If you have any further questions or are interested in an Automotive SPICE® Assessment, please click here to contact us.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By using this website you agree to our Data Protection Policy.