It’s no secret that car manufacturers are still catching up with the software industry. It seems like every day another manufacturer announces their collaboration with a automotive software company to produce connected, self-driving cars.
Car manufacturers may be struggling to keep up with this shift, but perhaps it is time they don’t have to battle alone. They should look to the software industry for insight on how to move forward.
Here are five trends that could help car manufacturers future-proof themselves and get more value from the software they produce.
1. Think Like a Startup
Car manufacturers are some of the biggest companies in the world, but they have failed to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset when approaching software development.
Startups work on tight budgets and short deadlines, so they need to innovate quickly. This has taught them how to prioritize before spending time on something unimportant. Startups also understand the importance of open communication about software development.
Car manufacturers need more adaptability. As their products become more connected, they will be responsible for more aspects of the software that runs them. If something goes wrong, or if users want an extra feature, car manufacturers must be able to accommodate requests quickly. A startup mindset can help them achieve this by prioritizing what’s important and having the flexibility to change direction when needed.
2. Follow Industry Standards
Car manufacturers should follow industry standards for their software development. They need to seek feedback from their customers and iterate on what they learn to produce better products in less time. This doesn’t just apply to car manufacturers either – every company should be following industry standards while accelerating their software development.
Industry standards can help car companies produce better products more efficiently. If every company agrees on the technology to use, they will save time by not having to develop it themselves or figure out how another company’s product works. A standard increases compatibility between different types of cars and enables manufacturers to produce more innovative products in less time.
3. Outsource When Possible
Outsourcing is often viewed as an easy way for corporations to cut costs, but it has become increasingly popular with startups because of its benefits for the speed and quality of their software development.
When a startup starts outsourcing some of its software development, most employees are still working on developing new features while only a few focus on supporting the outsourced work that’s already live. This ensures that the startup has more time to dedicate to developing new, innovative products while making sure its current product is still up-to-date.
Automobile manufacturers should consider this strategy when developing their software. Outsourced work could include updates for existing features or smaller requests submitted by users instead of large, long-term projects like building self-driving cars.
4. Treat Software Like a Product
Every company should treat software like a product because it provides opportunities for users to contribute and gives value back to companies if they can better serve their users’ needs. Automobile manufacturers need the flexibility of a startup in order to incorporate changes based on customer feedback such as waiting until after an initial release before building major features so that they can prioritize implementing smaller requests from customers instead.
5. Focus On the Customer Experience
The thing that makes automotive software development different from other industries is that your target market isn’t just people who use your physical product; you must consider anyone who interacts with your digital products and how it affects their experience.
Car manufacturers need to prioritize their customers’ needs in software development the same way they do in automotive production. They should always focus on how users will interact with what they’re building and ensuring that the user experience is as seamless as possible, even when things go wrong.
This ensures that users remain satisfied with whatever you develop whether it’s an update for existing features or a new product. Automobile manufacturers could incorporate this mindset into their software development by prioritizing usability over features.
Car companies need to develop relationships with their customers, but at the same time, they need to be open about what they’re trying and willing to change when customers give feedback.
Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.
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