ALM Why ALM Systems Are Indispensable in Hardware Development

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Recalls like the Takata airbag scandal show how far-reaching the consequences can be when requirements are not fully captured or documented. ALM systems reduce the risk.

It is one of those stories told in lectures when the material is dry and a bit of life is needed to liven up the theory. A lecturer in plastics engineering tells the story of a small, medium-sized injection molding company specializing in the production of airbag covers for the automotive industry. A solid business, technically demanding but manageable. Until one day, a message from Australia arrives that calls everything into question.

There, at the other end of the world, airbags deploy without any apparent reason. The vehicles are intact, the sensors seem to be functioning—and yet the safety systems activate as if an accident had occurred. Suspicion quickly falls on the covers. The quality of the production is called into question, and a recall is on the horizon. For the small company, this would be a financial disaster.

Far-Reaching Consequences of Flawed Requirements Definition

What follows is an intensive investigation and a surprising discovery: it is not the production that failed, but the environmental conditions. In Australia, where the sun shines relentlessly, people frequently use sunscreen. And it is precisely these creams that contain ingredients that, over time, react with the plastic of the covers. The material becomes soft, loses its strength—and the airbags deploy. But the company can breathe a sigh of relief: resistance to sunscreen was never part of the specifications. There is no liability.

Whether this story is true cannot be determined with certainty. However, real-life recalls, such as the globally known Takata airbag scandal, show us how far-reaching the consequences can be when requirements are not fully captured or documented: millions of vehicles had to be recalled because faulty inflators caused life-threatening situations. Other cases—such as defective braking systems, faulty electronic components, or flying panels as seen with Tesla Cybertrucks—also highlight how crucial complete documentation and traceability of technical requirements are.

The difference between a controlled risk and an existential image-damaging crisis is made by Application Lifecycle Management, or ALM.

ALM System is the Backbone of A Structured Development Process

In the world of technical development, nothing is as dangerous as relying on gut feeling. Products today are created in a complex interplay of requirements, standards, tests, and documentation. An ALM system is far more than a digital storage system—it is the backbone of a structured development process.

Especially in hardware development, where physical properties, chemical resistance, and regulatory requirements intersect, an ALM system provides the necessary clarity. It accompanies a product from the initial idea through specification and design to validation and maintenance. The work is often guided by the so-called V-model—a process model that links development phases with the corresponding review and test steps.

The V-model can be imagined as a bridge: on the left side, requirements are defined, systems are designed, and components are specified. On the right side, it is verified whether these requirements have been met—through integration tests, system tests, and approvals. The ALM system digitally represents this bridge and ensures that no step is missed, no requirement is forgotten, and every decision remains traceable. Scalable solutions like ReqMan or Codebeamer, available in Inneo's portfolio, offer flexible and powerful tools to efficiently shape these processes.

Why Clean Documentation And A Structured Approach Are Important

Let’s take a real-world example: A company develops a new housing for a control unit to be installed in vehicles. The requirements are clear—the material must withstand extreme temperatures, be UV-resistant, and remain resistant to chemicals such as engine oil or brake fluid. But how can it be ensured that all these requirements are not only considered but also implemented and tested?

This is where the interplay of the V-model and ALM system comes into play:

• The requirements are first systematically captured, analyzed, and transferred into technical specifications.
• Each of these steps is mirrored by corresponding tests.
• The ALM system links the requirements with the test cases, documents changes, and makes the results transparent.
• This creates an unbroken chain—from the idea to implementation to validation.

And if a problem arises later, for example, due to a cleaning agent that affects the plastic, the company can prove: This substance was never part of the specification. The responsibility does not lie with the manufacturer but with the client or user. What seems like bureaucratic effort becomes the company's lifeline in an emergency.

As long as everything works, comprehensive management often seems like unnecessary ballast. But as soon as something goes wrong, the value of clean documentation, clear traceability, and a structured approach becomes evident. The story with the sunscreen is a symbol of this: a seemingly harmless influence can trigger a chain of events that lead to financial ruin—if the requirements are not properly documented.

ALM systems are not bureaucratic monsters. They are tools that help manage complexity, identify risks, and ensure quality.

ALM Systems Create Transparency And Protect Against Blind Flights

ALM systems are not bureaucratic monsters. They are tools that help manage complexity, identify risks, and ensure quality. They create transparency, enable collaboration, and protect companies from flying blind. Ignoring them means relying on luck—and risking that a harmless sunscreen becomes the cause of a disaster.

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