Myths of aSPICE Part 1.2 – When to Assess

Even though Automotive SPICE (aSPICE) is not just about passing assessments, but rather ensuring a smooth and repeatable experience of well-managed product development within constraints (as discussed in Part 0 of this series), it's still crucial to know when to set up assessments to benefit from them—rather than suffer through them.

Why Assess?

The reason is simple: an independent check helps verify whether a project is on track. As we established in Part 1, an aSPICE assessment does not evaluate technical completeness or excellence, but rather checks whether the development approach is systematic or unpredictable. This allows project teams to focus their limited resources and efforts on what really matters—fixing deviations that might threaten successful, on-time delivery instead of getting stuck in minor details.

When to Assess?

In a typical automotive development project, which spans around two years from RFQ to SOP, timing assessments correctly is key.

• Too early? There’s no point in assessing a project in its first quarter—nothing substantial will be set up yet.

• Ideal first assessment? Around Month 5. By this point, relevant teams and toolchains should be in place, making it the right moment for an initial gap analysis (or assessment, call it what you will). This is early enough to detect and fix systemic issues, yet not so late that major course corrections become impossible.

• Too late? Assessing a project just before SOP is nearly useless. If the results are bad, what actions can you realistically take? Besides accepting the risks or dealing with frustration, there’s little room for meaningful change.

Best Practice

✅ First assessment → Month 4/5 → Identify gaps, fix them, and realign the project.
✅ Second confirmation assessment → 6 months before SOP → Ensure gaps are closed in time, avoiding last-minute escalations and delays.

Following this approach will make your aSPICE experience far smoother and more valuable.

Do you agree? Let me know in the comments, share this with your colleagues, and feel free to connect with me!

– Petr