Simplifying Complexity Through Embedded Innovation
Consulting Expertise in Embedded Controls and Software Engineering
Our Services
Organizational Alignment & Capability Building
- Change Management Strategy Development
- Requirements Management and Traceability Strategy Development
- Safety Engineering Strategy Development
- Software Product Line Strategy Development
- Software Architecture Assessment
- Verification & Validation Strategy and Development
- Process Maturity Assessment and Improvement Strategy
- Product Release and Acceptance Readiness Strategy Development
- ADAS Expertise
- Software Defined Vehicle Expertise
Is Your Embedded Controls Team Operating the Way You Need It To?
We Offer Support That Speaks Your Language
Organizational Alignment Challenges?
- Unsure about your organizational structure?
- Too many levels or not enough?
- Inefficient reporting structures?
- Span of control concerns?
- Concerns about the scope of your engineering teams?
- Too broad, too singular?
Lack of/Insufficient Change Management Control?
- No/little/not enough change management discipline?
- Current change management processes slowing you down?
- Too many steps/inefficient?
- Losing track of release content?
- No formal approval methods for change?
Requirements Management Lacking?
- Requirements poorly written/non-existent?
- Lack of proper configuration management?
- Lacking proper stakeholder involvement/approvals?
- Concerns about traceability?
Concerns About System Safety?
- Lack of institutional control?
- Insufficient traceability?
- Lacking the necessary roles/approvals?
- Not enough formal validation and buy-off?
- Lacking a governance board?
Software Product Development Inefficiencies?
- Poorly structured focus teams/scrums?
- Lacking a regimented sprint/cadence release strategy?
- Lacking the required artifacts?
- Does the execution flow as required?
- Lacking work product review and feedback?
- Poor planning and risk management?
Lacking a Robust Software Architecture?
- Architecture not robust/inflexible to change?
- Lacking the proper levels of abstraction between hardware and software?
- Poor coupling and cohesion between software components?
- Lacking the proper levels of organizational focus?
Concerns About Testing, Did We Do Enough?
- Inconsistent testing strategies (unit/integration/system/other)?
- Testing platform options insufficient/impractical?
- Current processes and procedures lacking?
- Testing against requirements or something else?
- Lacking the proper focus on test case definition?
- Concerns about staffing and roles?
Not Working as Effectively and Efficiently as Required?
- Lacking/non-existent focus on process improvement (PI) initiatives?
- Unclear how to improve with existing headcount?
- Lacking a PI roadmap?
- Roles and responsibilities for PI lacking/not understood?
Unsure of Release Readiness?
- Struggling with product line/software build BOM management?
- Unsure of acceptance test strategy?
- Lacking a DevOps/CI/CD integration and test environment?
- Not clear on the required roles and responsibilities?
Industries Served
MEDICAL
Embedded controls for medical imaging, diagnostics, and life-critical devices where precision and safety are paramount.
CONSTRUCTION
Robust embedded software for heavy equipment, loaders, and construction machinery requiring reliable control systems.
AUTOMOTIVE
Advanced embedded systems for autonomous vehicles, ADAS, and next-generation automotive control platforms.
AEROSPACE
Safety-critical embedded software for avionics, flight control systems, and aerospace instrumentation.
AGRICULTURE
Precision agriculture embedded controls for harvesters, planters, and smart farming equipment.
HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES
Embedded software solutions for smart home appliances, connected devices, and consumer electronics.
Mission Statement
Our goal is to move every organization better. Every day. Toward it. We strive to identify and embrace what's working well, understanding the root cause of success while more importantly, identifying the root cause of failed programs. Our focus is on developing software strategies and implementing them that create meaningful, measurable, and lasting improvements.
About Executive Embedded Software Consulting
Lance Smith is the founder of Executive Embedded Software Consulting. With over 25 years of experience in embedded controls and software engineering, Lance has led large-scale software development programs across the automotive, aerospace, and industrial sectors. He served as a senior engineering leader at General Motors, where he played a key role in the development and global expansion of the SuperCruise autonomous driving program. His expertise spans software architecture, systems engineering, functional safety, and organizational transformation. Lance holds a BS in Computer Engineering from The Ohio State University and an MS in Software Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He founded Executive Embedded Software Consulting to bring executive-level embedded software expertise directly to engineering organizations that need it most.
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My Blog
October 21, 2025
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