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Release: CX-Io (preview)

Working Group

Working Groups are dynamic, focused, and temporary teams established to explore and evaluate specific topics that fall outside the current scope of the association. They operate as agile "fast boats," swiftly exploring new topics to assess the relevance and potential impact of emerging issues, opportunities, or challenges for the association.

Unlike committees, Working Groups cannot make independent strategic decisions; instead, they provide decision proposals for the management board.

Exploratory Mission​

Working Groups are tasked with delving into specific topics or issues that have yet to be covered by existing committees. Their primary goal is to explore these areas in-depth, gathering information, analyzing trends, and assessing their significance for the association. Acting like a testing facility, these groups provide a quick, efficient, and flexible mechanism for the association to respond to new developments. They can be mobilized rapidly to investigate and report back on their findings, ensuring that the association remains proactive and forward-thinking.

In addition Working Groups have the following overarching tasks to fulfill:

  • Identifying areas for action: Gaps in the association's portfolio and strategy should be identified and reported.
  • Developing the strategic direction: Working Groups should develop recommendations for actions related to their topic in alignment with the association's overall strategy.
  • Driving standardization: Working Groups can be tasked write new standards or update existing ones, if the standard has no owner.

Working Group Lifeline

Working Groups have a finite lifetime that is determined at the time of their establishment. If additional time is needed to complete their objectives, a request for prolongation can be made, but it must be approved by the Management Board.

Idea Pitch​

Working Groups can be requested by any member of the Catena-X Automotive Network e.V. and must be pitched at and approved by the management board. The process to pitch an idea is managed by the Catena-X office.

Setup Working Group​

Working Groups are composed of members with relevant expertise or interest in the topic at hand. This ensures a focused and knowledgeable approach to the issue being investigated. Each company can be represented by only one person per Working Group (the use of a proxy is permitted). At the same time, the seat in the Working Group is tied to the individual and not to the company itself. Companies with a "silent membership" are allowed to participate and contribute to Working Groups focused on the development of standards. However, Working Groups that address topics outside of standardization are not accessible to "silent members."

Continous Work​

Working Groups are expected to continuously work on their assigned topics, ensuring steady progress throughout the project. It is their responsibility to self-organize by setting their own schedules, delegating tasks, and coordinating efforts to meet deadlines and deliverables. This requires proactive communication and collaboration among members to keep the work moving forward efficiently.

Regular Reporting​

Unlike Expert Groups, Working Groups are not linked to a particular committee. Instead, they report directly to a respective managing director. This direct line of communication ensures that their findings are quickly integrated into the association's strategic considerations.

The focus of the Working Group is on the results defined in the application according to the roadmap. If no results are available and/or the objective has not been achieved, the respective managing director may initiate a dissolution.

Closing​

Once a Working Group reaches its defined goal, the results must be presented to the Management Board. It is mandatory to provide final documentation of the work, with every member required to contribute. This documentation will be made accessible to all members, coordinated through the Catena-X office.

Based on the Working Group's results, the establishment of a new Committee or Expert Group may be requested to further advance the topic or implement next steps.