Hella AG

Project: Lead Quality Planner for a LiDAR/radar-based driver assistance system

Client: Hella AG (on behalf of Volkswagen)
Period: August 2008 – February 2009
Role: Lead Quality Planner (driver assistance systems)

I assumed overall responsibility for quality planning in a highly innovative driver assistance project for Volkswagen. The system used a forward-looking combination of LiDAR and radar technology to implement the next generation of comfort and safety features.

My core responsibilities and results:

• Leading the quality team: I led and coordinated a team of four quality planners and was responsible for the timely delivery of all quality-related work packages.
• Proactive quality planning (APQP):
  
   
  • I led and moderated preventive quality methods, including design FMEA and regular prevention circles.
   
  • My main tasks included analyzing extensive customer requirements (including FORMEL Q) and mapping them in DOORS, as well as defining critical characteristics (CTQs).
 
• Quality assurance and maturity management:
  
   
  • I was responsible for the entire test planning (DVP&R) and the creation of production control plans.
   
  • I prepared and coordinated the sampling documentation (VDA 2).
   
  • Through consistent maturity assurance in accordance with VDA-RGA, I ensured transparency regarding the progress of the project.

Project completion:
This highly innovative project was halted overnight by the customer Volkswagen during an advanced development phase. This decision was a direct consequence of the global financial and automotive crisis of 2008/2009 and was not related to the technical or qualitative performance of the project.

Project impact:
Within a few months, I built a complete and robust quality framework for a technologically groundbreaking product. My team and I achieved all quality milestones, thereby creating the decisive prerequisites for the planned industrialization and achievement of series production readiness.