• Pick Up
• Organization and Career Development/Learning
• Cross-Domain Computing Solutions Division (XC)

The Cross-Domain Computing Solutions (XC) Division, which was established as an organization that provides a single source for software-intensive systems for future vehicle architectures, holds its own in-house study sessions every month. The program is called "XC Dojo". These sessions embody Bosch's learning culture. What kind of discussions take place in these sessions? We talked with Felix Pretscheck, General Manager of Marketing and Business Strategy in the XC Division, and Eiko Sugimura in charge of Corporate Communications in the XC Division.

The XC Division brings together expertise across domains. Study sessions initiated to share knowledge.

First of all, please tell us about the origin of the name "XC Dojo".

Sugimura: Since the XC Division has members of various nationalities, we were conscious of choosing a name that intuitively can be recognized as "learning" throughout the world. We named it "XC Dojo". A dojo is an immersive-learning place where people train their minds and bodies through martial arts and learn from each other through friendly rivalry.

Pretscheck: The XC Division is a new division established only at beginning of 2021 by combining three business areas. As a first step, we needed to understand which background each area had and which competence all of the members brought to the new organization. We quickly found out that there was a strong desire to learn about the other areas and also about new technology topics in general. This is how we came up with the idea of the study session "XC Dojo".

Sugimura: In order to continue holding study sessions, an administrative organization is necessary. Therefore, our marketing department collects the latest technology, which is the theme of XC Dojo, and interesting initiatives and use cases of various departments, and sets the theme of the study sessions. We support the operations, up to the point of selecting a theme and lecturer and making the requests.

The XC Division was established during the coronavirus pandemic, so study sessions are held online once a month, taking into account the current diverse work styles during the pandemic. The basic time schedule is one hour for a presentation on the main theme and thirty minutes for a question and answer session. The themes of the study sessions are quite wide ranging. Topics include: technologies related to products and services developed by each team, product descriptions, cyber security, E/E (electrical/electronic) architecture, mobility market trends, quality control, and development methods such as DevOps.

A video of the event will be distributed at a later date along with the presentation materials, so they can be viewed at any time. Bosch has an in-house video site, called "Bosch Tube", which archives all the recorded videos. There are many people who watch the video later, and there are times when the total number reaches 100 people when combined with direct participants.

Bosch's "Learning Culture" – Actively used by mid-career hires.

Sessions archived on "Bosch Tube" are likely to be useful to mid-career hires for catching up.

Sugimura: Certainly, we have received feedback that the archived sessions are useful for mid-career hires to catch up on what kind of initiatives the XC Division has been working on and what kind of technology is available.

What is the background to the creation of a place of learning like XC Dojo?

Sugimura: I think Bosch has a strong culture in which everyone keeps learning, and moreover, they think for themselves about what they want to learn and how they want to learn. Since we value autonomy, our basic stance is to have an equal dialogue with our superiors.
I think it is one of the reasons why independent study sessions like XC Dojo are continuing.

Pretscheck: In recent years, the automotive industry has entered a period of major technological transformation. Everyone in our organization is eager to keep up with the latest trends and also the changing demands for daily work. This forms an atmosphere overall for curiosity and continuous competence development.

In addition to XC Dojo, Bosch also has many other places where associates can train.

Sugimura: In addition to company-wide training courses such as languages, project management, and presentation skills, there also are various other training courses. For example, there are technology courses to learn about technologies including radar and ECU, and training courses to learn the processes of development and quality improvement.

In addition, Bosch offers the opportunity to enroll at an e-university for classes provided by globally renowned universities. Through these courses, everyone in our organization has the chance to get access to top-notch scientific contents from all around the globe – this can be in the areas of software engineering, but also business management.

There are also self-organized study sessions for the entire company called "Self-Organized Learning Forums (SOLF)", where associates can freely set themes. These are basically held during business hours, and are announced on an internal SNS called "Bosch Connect". Anyone can participate in a variety of formats, such as face-to-face or online.
Taking advantage of these learning opportunities to hone one's skills and broaden one's range of experience with others is one of the competencies that Bosch values. XC Dojo can be said to have been born against the backdrop of such a culture of continuous learning.

At Bosch, you have to think for yourself about what kind of career you want to pursue in the future. The company does not tell each individual, so it is necessary to continue to voluntarily learn the knowledge and skills necessary for one's own career. It is the same for XC Dojo, everyone participates voluntarily, not because their boss told them to do so or because they are forced to do so.

Pretscheck: Actually, XC Dojo has also a second intention of "improving speaking skills". By speaking in front of people, experts from our organization will acquire the skills to organize their knowledge and convey it in an easy-to-understand manner. Receiving and answering questions from participants may lead to new relevant contacts to people from across the whole organization.

Engineers thirst for knowledge in a time of technology transformation

As a place for engineers to study, there are study groups and technical seminars outside the company, but do you provide any support as an organization?

Pretscheck: We actively encourage associates to participate in external seminars and symposiums in order to acquire state-of-the art knowledge and strengthen their relationships with relevant stakeholders in the industry. In the future, XC Dojo may also invite external experts to give lectures. I think it is always important to keep up with various trends outside the company as we move forward.

What changes and achievements have you seen from implementing XC Dojo?

Sugimura: It will take time for the results of these study sessions to appear in a visible form. However, in the XC Division, which was established by combining three business areas, I think that XC Dojo is useful as one of the opportunities for members to feel the team spirit as a division and the identity of the division, albeit little by little.

How do you think XC Dojo will evolve in the future?

Sugimura: In the mid term future, there are ideas for something like a "Mini Dojo" with a smaller scope and scale. However, the first thing is to continue without reducing the number of participants in XC Dojo. To that end, we are always aware of the interests and concerns of our associates and their urgent learning needs. I also think that it is important to discover new issues while setting appropriate themes and improving the level of content.