Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1315894
46 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2020 Article by David Wiens SIEMENS DIGITAL INDUSTRIES SOFTWARE The electronics industry is entering a new era of digital transformation driven by the urgent need for electronic systems companies to over- come three big design challenges—product, organizational, and process complexity. These three challenges are looming larger than ever as companies work to create modern- day, even futuristic, products that weld electri- cal, mechanical, and software design together, and they have to do so under the strain of shrinking design and production schedules and an unprecedented pace of innovation. Companies can no longer afford the old way of doing things, such as building multiple prototypes and running them through several test iterations. Indeed, the classic prototyp- ing-dependent approach actually contributes to missed schedules, increased development expenses, and degraded product quality. The negative impacts of not adopting new ways of doing business are significant. Recent research by LifeCycle Insights shows that 58% of all new product design projects incur unex- pected and unbudgeted additional costs and time delays. Only one in four projects actu- ally goes out on time and on budget. To meet schedules, engineering teams often cushion 3–4 respins into their cost and time estimates, thus perpetuating process inefficiencies. The Big Three Complexities Product complexity has grown significantly with the advent of advanced node ICs, faster DDR memory, and SerDes buses. For example, Transforming Electronic Systems Design Figure 1: A total of 58% of all projects incur additional costs or miss release dates. (Source: LifeCycle Insights)