External development service providers can make research and development more focussed, more efficient and more flexible. One of our customers from the automotive industry also wanted to utilise this potential.

Strategic opening of R&D

More flexibility and efficiency in product development
with external development partners


The company is one of Germany's largest automotive suppliers and has three powerful, globally recognised product brands.


The challenge

Our customer provided its R&D services almost entirely using internal resources. There was no clear view of the advantages and disadvantages of greater involvement of development service providers. This resulted in the following tasks:

  • Winning over employees at all hierarchical levels for the integration of external development service providers
  • Determine award potential in selected product areas
  • Development of a portfolio of external development service providers
  • Commissioning of external development service providers in selected pilot projects (RFI process, RFQ process, bid evaluation, selection, contracts, commissioning)
  • Develop the necessary procedural and organisational changes in order to use external development service providers regularly and strategically
  • Define a roadmap for the rollout of the results for a nationwide application


The approach

We applied a standardised procedure in 8 pilot projects for each product area:

  • Definition of objectives as well as opportunities and risks for collaboration with external development service providers - Forming a common mindset
  • Spanning a matrix of process steps and products/components for the respective area
  • Definition of evaluation criteria for the award: achievement of project objectives, exclusion criteria and protection of core competences
  • Systematic determination of potentials in the above-mentioned matrix, determination of quantity structures
  • Quantifying the potential of external development service providers for a management decision template
  • Selection and commissioning of development service providers for the most attractive potential together with the responsible purchasing organisation and the legal department

Furthermore, a process was defined to ensure the future utilisation of external R&D, taking into account the needs of all stakeholders. After completion of the pilot phase, CO-Improve was also involved in the roll-out of the procedure in other product areas.