The automotive supplier industry’s DIA concept

Where a vehicle manufacturer (OEM) cooperates with more than one supplier in order to produce a system which meets the requirements set out in ISO 26262, the Development Interface Agreement (DIA) is the key document. The DIA, a multilateral contract, determines each party’s responsibilities at their respective interface levels while giving priority to the OEM, who carries the sole responsibility for a system’s functional safety at vehicle level. The DIA should be based on a well coordinated RACI matrix. When it comes to the project milestones that have to be defined (Maturity Level Assurance), essential stages are determined by

• the Functional Safety Audit
• the Functional Safety Review
• the Functional Safety Assessment
• The Functional Safety Managers (FSM) assigned to each of these tasks are responsible. It is imperative that their independence in terms of performance and decisions be determined by the DIA as well as safeguarded within the different internal legal relations.