Efficient test data management at ŠKODA AUTO
Introduction of an innovative solution for data management in the field of Verification HW & durab. driving tests
ŠKODA AUTO is one of the oldest and most renowned car manufacturers in the world. The company, which is part of the Volkswagen Group, develops, produces and sells vehicles on a global scale. With a wide range of products, from small cars to SUVs and electric vehicles, ŠKODA AUTO has made a name for itself in recent years as the leading car brand in Europe. Models such as the ŠKODA Octavia, Fabia, Superb and Kodiaq are internationally recognized and popular.
This is no coincidence, as ŠKODA AUTO attaches great importance to innovation, quality and sustainability. This also applies to the EGF department, which is responsible for the thermal management of the entire vehicle at ŠKODA AUTO. Extensive vehicle tests are regularly carried out here under real-life conditions to ensure that the engine, battery, vehicle paneling and other components remain at the optimum temperature. This generates large amounts of sensor data, which was previously stored manually and unstructured on network drives. This made it difficult to search for data efficiently and caused time-consuming processes, making the need for a centralized and automated solution for test data management increasingly urgent.
The solution: implementation of a centralized test data management system
In order to find a future-proof solution for test data management that met the requirements, ŠKODA AUTO opted for the expertise of Peak Solution. The centerpiece of the new solution is the Peak ODS Server, which is based on the ASAM ODS standard. It enables the centralized and systematic storage of measurement data and test reports and at the same time ensures standardized indexing with metadata so that the data can be retrieved quickly.
Another major advantage of the new system is the completely automated data storage. Instead of manually storing the various vehicle test data formats on a network drive as before, all relevant information of a test is now automatically imported into the central test data management system. This means no more manual or duplicate data entry, but efficient and error-free management of test data.
The department's engineers can access all stored data via a user-friendly, web-based user interface based on the open source framework openMDM. With the help of a search function based on metadata such as vehicle type, test site, date or test type, relevant tests and the associated data can be found and downloaded quickly and easily. These innovations have led to a considerable increase in efficiency in the way the EIV department works.
Cooperation with Peak Solution - successful together
The responsible managers at ŠKODA AUTO decided to work with Peak Solution because the company is recognized as a leading provider of future-proof test data management solutions in the automotive industry. Peak Solution brought extensive expertise in ASAM ODS and openMDM, two key standards that ensured smooth integration of the solution at ŠKODA AUTO.
“The long-standing cooperation with Peak Solution and their deep understanding of our specific requirements had a significant influence on the success of this project,” emphasizes Miroslav Michalco, responsible for software in the Process and System Integration department at ŠKODA AUTO. “Peak Solution's expertise in the field of measurement data management and its ability to make complex data structures easily and clearly accessible were decisive factors in the decision.”
Results and benefits of the new solution
Since going live in August 2024, the engineers in the EIV department have benefited from a much more efficient workflow. The most important advantages of the new solution are
- Central data storage: all test data and measurement reports are systematically and centrally archived
- Automated data import: All test data is imported directly into the system without manual intervention and indexed with metadata, minimizing sources of error.
- Standardization: Thanks to the standardized structuring and description of the test data with metadata, it can be found and interpreted quickly and accurately.
- User-friendly interface: Engineers have access to all test reports at any time via the web client and can
Peak Data Transfer Tool by the company
Additional functions for even more efficient data management
However, the introduction of the new test data management system was only the first step for the Verification HW & durab. driving tests department to increase the efficiency of its work processes. Further functions are to be added in the future to further improve the benefits of the system. These include the expansion of user and authorization management in order to make specific test data accessible only to certain user groups as the number of users increases. Enhanced analysis functions are also planned, for example to be able to better compare tests of different vehicle generations in the long term. To this end, the system will provide detailed insights into the measurement data, for example through an exact visualization of the temperature curves that occurred during the test drives
“Thanks to the new solution from Peak Solution, we can now manage our test data more efficiently and create reports more quickly. The collaboration was always based on partnership and characterised by the high level of expertise of the Peak Solution team,” explains Bohuš Kysela Ph.D., Product Owner and key user of the new solution in the EIV department.
With this future-proof solution, the thermal management department has set new standards for test data management at ŠKODA AUTO and is now benefiting from a significant increase in efficiency and transparency in test data management.
