Today, electrical and electronic systems determine vehicle performance and safety. When adaptive cruise control engages, energy flows in the battery system are managed, or software functions are updated over-the-air , every detail must be reliable. Functional safety acts as a catalyst rather than an obstacle: consistent compliance with ISO 26262 minimizes risks and audit burdens while ensuring traceability.
The EDAG Group holds a certificate for its Safety Management Process in accordance with ISO 26262 . Together with ISO/SAE 21434 certification, this demonstrates that safety and security are conceived and implemented in an integrated manner. For OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, this creates a verifiable quality promise: clear responsibilities, robust safety arguments, and end-to-end traceability, from the concept phase through to series production.
Why Certified Functional Safety Becomes a Lever
ISO 26262 makes safety manageable: The standard requires structured processes, clear roles, defined work products, and seamless traceability. In practice, this ensures robust safety architectures and reduces friction between development, testing, integration, and release. Certification confirms standards-compliant safety management, including a safety culture in practice. This builds trust, lowers the barrier to project initiation, and reduces the burden on OEMs during audits and assessments.
Concrete benefits:
- Rapid onboarding for employees is possible thanks to standardized methods and clear process interfaces
- Verifiable competence management in accordance with a certified qualification process and continuous professional development.
- Increased customer confidence through independently certified safety processes and verifiable quality.
Structured from goal to verification
The process begins with a hazard and risk analysis. Safety goals are derived from operational and failure scenarios, requirements are assigned, and these are broken down into software and hardware. Traceability is crucial: Every safety requirement can be tracked across all development levels—all the way through to testing and release.
Securely migrating zone-based E/E architectures
Zone-based E/E topologies distribute functions more widely, make communication paths more dynamic, and increase the performance of control units—with a direct impact on safety concepts. The added value of a certified methodology: change management, documentation, and traceability remain consistent even during architectural changes. This ensures that the safety case remains stable, even as the technical target evolves.
Implementation benefits:
- Clear responsibilities across domains (Drive Systems, ADAS/AD, Energy Systems, Intelligent Cockpit, E/E Full Vehicle).
- Consistent change management during functional integration and software updates.
- More focused safety reviews thanks to robust documentation.
Supplier Enablement: Safety Along the Supply Chain
As soon as new components or systems are procured, interface management determines the pace and quality. A certified process ensures the clear assignment of safety responsibilities and clearly defined artifacts within the supplier network.
Domains and ASIL: Setting the Right Priorities
Automotive Safety Integrity Levels (ASIL) classify the required safety level:
- ASIL A: low risk
- ASIL B: medium risk
- ASIL C: high risk
- ASIL D: highest risk
Typical classifications by domain:
- Drive Systems (e.g., engine control, steering): ASIL B–D
- ADAS/Automated Driving: ASIL C–D
- Energy Systems (Battery Management, High-Voltage Control): ASIL B–C
- Intelligent Cockpit: ASIL A–B
- E/E Full Vehicle: ASIL A–D depending on functional scope
This framework helps teams prioritize safety measures effectively and allocate resources efficiently.
Safety + Security from a Single Source
Electrical/electronic functions are interconnected—safety and security intersect. The combination of ISO 26262 (Functional Safety) and ISO/SAE 21434 (Cybersecurity Engineering) enables early identification of conflicting objectives and the development of coherent concepts: Safety functions must remain under control even under potential cyberattacks; security measures must not compromise safety. The result is homologation-ready solutions across the entire E/E network—from drive systems to ADAS/AD and energy systems, all the way to the intelligent cockpit and the full vehicle.
What this means for your next project
- Faster project kickoffs: Standardized artifacts and roles shorten the onboarding process and accelerate integration into OEM processes.
- Risk minimization: Standard-compliant processes reduce product liability risks throughout the supply chain.
- Clear responsibilities in the supply chain: Certified interface management clarifies responsibilities—from sourcing to series production.
- Securely migrating zone-based E/E architectures: Modifications remain under control, and traceability is seamless.
- Integrated safety and security: Dual certification combines safety and security into uniform processes.
Conclusion
ISO 26262 is far more than a standard - it is a regulatory framework that makes complex E/E vehicle functions manageable. Certified functional safety management provides the foundation for this: clear roles, well-defined artifacts, and robust safety arguments 1 and development managers, this means: fewer risks, greater transparency, and more efficient progress - from concept to validation.
If you have questions about certification, its implementation in projects, or specific application scenarios, Christoph Hahn, Safety Expert, is available as your central point of contact. Or register here for our free webinar recording of the webinar " Personnel Qualification for Functional Safety according to ISO 26262 " and start your journey toward safe and reliable vehicle development.
