The ISO 26262 spans the entire development V model: every activity within the V model is linked to a functional safety task. A clearly structured functional safety management strategy is required to maintain an overview of all activities. That is the only way of complying with the key point required by the standard, seamlessly planned development from the outset through to safety certification.

The seneos Functional Safety Manager provides expertise in both areas throughout the V model when it comes to interweaving management and development. We believe that our management strategy specially adapted to the customer enables optimal collaboration. Our management guidelines are customized to the customer’s project and development structures in order to offer the utmost flexibility and efficiency. 

• Project management within projects with safety-relevant requirements

  • Organisation and planning of individual activities within the functional safety life cycle

  • Effective integration of the processes required under ISO 26262 into the existing development process

• Formal and content-specific reviews and analyses on ISO 26262 work products with an emphasis on compliance with the standard

• Advice & support on methods when implementing the activities

  • E.g. ISO-compliant tool management, more specifically the classification and qualification of software tools in accordance with ISO 26262

Our functional safety activities include: 

• Drafting and reviewing hazard analyses and risk assessments

• Advice on the drafting, reviewing and development of safety concepts

• Specialist reviews and drafting of analyses such as FMEA and FMEDA

• Efficient test security in compliance with ISO 26262

• Technical review of safety life cycle work products

seneos uses the medini analyze tool from IKV (www.ikv.de) in its functional safety projects. From drafting to review of the hazards and risk analysis, the workflow agreed upon between developer and reviewer is implemented within medini analyze. Furthermore, safety concepts integrated within the tool can be systematically broken down, for example, to component level in hardware or to model level in software. The mapping of analysis methods within the tool itself makes the individual requirements clearly traceable. Using this tool within an ISO 26262-compliant development project from the outset reveals a common theme which is evident through the seamless composition of the security certificate and contributes significantly to its transparency. The system has already paid off when used in large-scale projects with vehicle manufacturers due to a clearer overview of functional safety across all projects. 

• Advice on incorporating the tool into the customer's process

• Engineering within medini analyse (e.g. hazard analysis and risk assessment)

How many software tools do you use in your day-to-day work? How many of them significantly influence the development process? How many of those tools work unequivocally correctly? Have you ever even asked these questions? seneos helps you answer these and many other questions within the context of ISO 26262-compliant tool management. To achieve confidence in dealing with software, closer scrutiny is absolutely necessary: a targeted analysis combined with a broad wealth of experience from completed classifications enable potential errors in the software, particular in its handling, to be pinpointed safely and effectively. In spite of potential errors, specific measures can be defined to increase confidence in the tool during subsequent classification of the software-based tool. Wide-ranging experience in observing tools from all development stages of the V model enables seneos to provide systematic support: both for the introduction of such a tool management process into development teams and for drafting the necessary documentation for classification and qualification and any reviews that may be required. 

• Advice on drafting classification and qualification reports

• Establishing the tool management process within the development team

One of the pillars of our company philosophy is the internal and external transfer of knowledge which we achieve through training courses and workshops. Our content therein is heavily influenced by case study reports from the various projects involving ISO-compliant development and is supplemented with practical examples. This enables us to offer an attractive combination of theoretical teaching on ISO 26262 and its practical application within the development environment. 

• Training on software and HiL testing from a functional safety perspective

• Functional safety training in accordance with ISO 26262

• Methods workshop on implementing tool management in accordance with ISO 26262

• SW testing basics, planning and test methods testing training courses (within the framework of ISO 26262 also)

In the case of collaboration between a supplier and an OEM, ISO 26262 expressly requires proof of quality on the part of the supplier. This includes ISO-compliant safety assessments offered by seneos as follows: 

• Assessment of the functional safety of development projects

• Assessment of the functional safety of sub-projects