MEET TPM AT IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026
Hannover 15–20 September 2026
See what TPM is tracking at IAA and book a focused TPM Lead discussion.
Automotive engineering consulting becomes critical when specs change, suppliers move at different speeds and validation compresses.
Decisions arrive too late — and risk shows up late.
Sounds familiar?
TPM provides senior automotive engineering leadership for OEM and Tier-1 programs where timing, interfaces and validation readiness are under pressure. We begin with one defined responsibility and add capability only when the delivery need requires it.
How TPM delivery can grow
The starting point is a critical role, workstream or delivery scope — not a preselected service package. TPM and the customer define the right model in a focused qualification discussion.
Typical starting needs
01
Land
One proven senior takes ownership of a defined critical role or workstream, establishes control and gets the work moving.
02
Expand
When one role is not enough, TPM builds a selected senior team around the accountable TPM Lead and one shared delivery rhythm.
03
Scale
For a clearly defined scope, TPM can take broader operational and commercial responsibility under separately agreed governance, measures and boundaries.
Responsibility expands only after proven execution, a real delivery need and a separate decision.
One TPM Lead owns the defined need. When broader capability is required, TPM can add selected specialists and build a Delivery Cell around the lead.
High-requirement OEM programs don’t fail because of one big thing — they slip because many small risks stay open too long. The hard part is keeping timing, quality, suppliers and decisions aligned while the program is already moving.
When to plug in: SOP risk rises, decisions stall, and ownership is unclear across OEM/Tier-1/suppliers.
Delivers:
Critical path + weekly cadence: owners, blockers, closures, gate rhythm (SOP/DV/PV/PPAP)
Decision log + escalation: dated decisions, owners, impact understood, “almost decided” closed
Supplier alignment: readiness vs. SOP/DV/PV gates, interface commitments, recovery plan
When to plug in: A critical component is on the path, interfaces are shaky, and issues bounce without closure.
Delivers:
Interface ownership (ICD): assumptions explicit, handshake with OEM/Tier-1, change impact control
Issue burn-down: fast triage → root cause → fix/verify loop, defect containment, closure discipline
Gate evidence pack: DV/PV/SOP readiness snapshot (done / blocked / next) for sign-off decisions
When to plug in: Safety requirements move, the safety case is unclear, or OEM/supplier expectations don’t match.
Delivers:
Safety concept clarity: HARA → safety goals → FSC/TSC alignment, confirmation measures
Interface control: safety requirements flow-down, change impact checks, alignment across OEM/Tier-1
Evidence & reviews: work products status, audit-ready structure, pragmatic closure plan toward SOP
When to plug in: Requirements drift, teams interpret specs differently, and late surprises hit integration/validation.
Delivers:
Requirements baseline: structure, ownership, traceability, quality checks (ASPICE-friendly)
Change control: impact analysis, version discipline, “almost decided” closure, clean handover
System integration readiness: aligned interfaces + acceptance criteria, V-model consistency to DV/PV
When to plug in: Validation compresses, test capacity is tight (benches/vehicles/labs), and results don’t drive clear go/no-go.
Delivers:
Test plan → reality: scope, priority, capacity, schedule, risks visible weekly (DV/PV)
Evidence-based status: pass/fail trends, blockers, retest rules, sign-off logic, release readiness view
Gate support: DV/PV readiness snapshots + escalation when risk climbs, alignment to SOP decisions
When to plug in: Software blocks integration, tooling/automation is missing, or you need fast delivery without growing headcount.
Delivers:
Targeted implementation: features/fixes that unblock integration & validation, defect closure focus
Tooling & automation: test scripts, logging, analysis helpers, CI support where needed (Scrum-ready)
Quality discipline: reproducible results, documented changes, clean handover for OEM/Tier-1 collaboration
From need to launch
From a defined need to a named TPM Lead ready to start — with scope, ownership and working cadence agreed before launch.
01
Tell us where ownership or delivery capacity is missing.
02
We clarify the role, workstream, expected outcome and timing.
03
TPM selects a proven senior for the defined responsibility.
04
Responsibilities, working rhythm and start criteria are confirmed.
05
The work starts with named ownership and visibility into progress.
Typical TPM Lead mobilisation: 2–4 weeks.
Timing depends on scope, location, senior availability and customer procurement.
OEM programs demand the highest levels of quality, timing discipline and accountability.
Role: Component Lead / Lead Engineer
Situation: A next-generation off-highway headlamp program was severely delayed and threatened the platform timeline and SOP date.
Requirement level: Zero tolerance for faults — cross-functional coordination and supplier alignment under schedule pressure.
TPM role: Component ownership, technical decision-making, and daily coordination to unblock critical path items and close open quality topics.
Output: Program recovered towards SOP targets and delivered a design-recognized outcome.
Role: Test Engineer
Situation: Safety-critical EBS braking system testing and development within an OEM-level vehicle program.
Requirement level: Strict validation planning, traceability, and evidence-quality reporting — on-time test execution.
TPM role: Test planning and execution, structured reporting, and support for readiness decisions.
Output: High-quality testing delivered on time as part of full program validation.
Role: External Safety Engineer / Safety Manager
Situation: Functional safety concept development and maintenance while acting as OEM–supplier interface for a safety-critical component.
Requirement level: Disciplined FuSa planning, documentation quality, and stakeholder alignment through program changes.
TPM role: FuSa planning, coordination cadence, reviews, and maintaining the safety concept across stakeholders.
Output: High-quality functional safety planning and sustained compliance readiness.
Based in Rovaniemi at the Arctic Circle, TPM supports automotive and off-highway development, validation and winter testing in real cold-weather conditions. We coordinate local execution, supplier interfaces, test readiness and evidence — from planning to closure.
Arctic testing support can begin with one TPM Lead coordinating local readiness, interfaces and evidence. When the scope requires more capacity, TPM can build a selected local Delivery Cell around the need.
Evidence gathered through a Finnish winter provides a strong foundation for other demanding operating environments.