Ian Tudor is Product Development Lifecycle and Project Management Process Developer at Changan Automobile Group. He describes the importance of implementing standards to help growth in the global marketplace.
Changan Automobile Group can trace its corporate origins way back to the 1860s. Today it has an increasingly international footprint, with dedicated research centres in China, Italy, Japan, UK and USA. The company has also invested heavily in the research and development of new energy vehicles, focusing on technology development for conventional and hybrid vehicles.
The UK satellite office in which I work is dedicated to powertrain design and development for Changan's next generation of vehicles. We work with standards every day, and provide guidance and support for the ongoing integration of global standards within the wider organization. We are on a mission to design and develop high-quality, high-performance powertrains to support Changan’s global requirements and future growth plans.
The majority of Changan’s traditional automotive sales volumes have come from the domestic Chinese market, but to continue to expand into wider international markets, existing national and regional standards need to be reconciled with those used on the global stage.
Much of the research and design work within my team focuses on well-documented and recognized processes to maintain the quality of our output. Standards also have a part to play throughout health and safety, quality management, material and component-design activities.