"Software development is an engineering discipline."

Nadine and David, you are Software Engineers at the SDC, working with methods such as Test Driven Development and Pair Programming. What is behind this, and what does it look like in everyday life?

David: We work according to "eXtreme Programming (XP)," in which Test Driven Development (TDD) and pair programming, among other things, are common practice. Pair programming - working together on the same code - is a great way of transferring knowledge within the engineering team, and the dual control principle enables us to achieve high software quality. We can also work from home in pairing with the support of special software. That was a particularly important factor for me. I live in Berlin and only come to Ingolstadt about once a month.

Nadine: Software development is an engineering discipline. This means that we take a disciplined and methodical approach, for example, with Test Driven Development (TDD). Before we even write a line of production code, we develop the tests that our software will have to pass later. This way, we can be sure that it will always work reliably. This is particularly important because we practice DevOps, i.e., we also operate the software that we develop. Thanks to these processes, there is no stress before a new release - and those on call can sleep well.

David, you are one of the new additions to the SDC. How did your application and onboarding process go?

David: There was a coding challenge and a pairing day where we looked at whether my way of working and that of the SDC were a good fit. The personal side is also important. For the right team chemistry you have to get along well. That's why you can say that there really is a mutual application process. In the end, the team decides whether you are a good match. I thought it was particularly great that I received the feedback on the train back to Berlin.

Nadine, you recently changed your role and are now looking after the next generation of developers at the SDC. What is this about?

Nadine: Apprentices training to become IT specialists for application development at Audi spend a longer period with us at the SDC Junior Academy. For a fixed period, I look after our trainees - also there in pairing - and ensure that they learn professional application development with us.