The software-defined vehicle is won or lost in the operating model

Munich, Oktober 2026
D

esign principles, concrete concepts and a transformation approach for OEMs and Tier X suppliers.

The software-defined vehicle (SDV) fails not for lack of technology spend but because incumbents run a new product through a hardware-era R&D operating model. The way through is to read the design principles off the product itself, apply them to the four operating model elements that carry the change (Architecture & Technology, Capabilities, Governance including organization, and Way of working), and build the result clean sheet in a protected unit rather than retrofitting it onto the legacy architecture.

Insight

The software-defined vehicle is won or lost in the operating model
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Authors

Christian Kaiser

Partner & Managing Director

Sebastian Bräuer

Partner

Mirko Mählisch

Expert Advisor (Universität der Bundeswehr)

Tom Volber

Project Manager

Yonnas Tesfamicael

Senior Consultant

Mai Khoa Le

Consultant