Optimizing Productivity in Software-Defined Vehicle Development
- Julie Jenson
- May 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 22
Software-defined vehicles (SDV) radically transform what a car is and what it takes to make one. Taking advantage of this disruption, Chinese automotive manufacturers are developing automobiles 30% faster than legacy manufacturers, putting pressure on everyone to improve productivity and efficiency. [1]
To put it simply, software development is the new automotive factory floor. But software is notorious for being difficult to measure and manage, even a black hole for productivity investment. [2] To actually speed up this factory, you can’t just throw in more people or new technologies, you need to optimize the software developer experience.
Good developer experience multiplies developer output
At Concrete, we have studied the work practices of hundreds of software developers across different industries, geographies, and technology stacks. We’ve learned that relatively small investments in developer experience pay off immediately in faster ramp-up times, shorter cycle times, and fewer mistakes along the way.
To actually speed up this factory, you can’t just throw in more people or new technologies, you need to optimize the software developer experience.
For example, after a single round of research and design we did on for a major technology manufacturer, developer success rates for a get-up-and-running task went from 90% failure to 90% success.
Bad developer tools are the norm
The tools that software developers use have almost never been designed with empathy for their needs. Because developers tend to be good puzzle-solvers with a hard work ethic, we expect them to deal with confusing, undocumented, or poorly designed tools in a way that slows down their own ability to think, solve problems, and collaborate. We seem to have forgotten that software developers are people too!
The problem isn’t developers. It’s their tools and environment getting in the way. And although developers have plenty of amazing skills, they don’t actually have the expertise required to solve this experience problem on their own.
Automotive companies have engineered the most efficient assembly lines in the world. And they can do the same for SDVs — but only by mastering developer experience.
Improving developer experience requires specialists in psychology and communication, not just coding. You’ve probably heard of UX (user experience) and invest in designing products that are usable and desirable for your customers. Fewer have heard of DevX (developer experience) and know that there are specialists in understanding software development human factors, too.
Optimizing the software factory requires new expertise
Automotive companies have engineered the most efficient assembly lines in the world. And they can do the same for SDVs — but only by mastering developer experience. This is where specialists like Concrete come in. We have 30+ years of experience understanding the needs of software developers for organizations like Intel, Dun & Bradstreet, Amazon, Microsoft, and the Linux Foundation, and translating that into the tools and documentation software developers need to work more efficiently.
This is the first article in a series. Click on the links below to read the other articles:
[1] Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2024: How China is Churning out EVs Faster Than Everyone Else
[2] Brook’s Law, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks%27s_law
Concrete is the industry-leading human factors engineering consultancy specializing in software-defined everything (SDX) and developer experience (DevX). Contact us to deliver SDX at scale and elevate your success.
