ISO 26262 certification is one of the first things OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers ask for when you develop electrical or electronic systems that can affect the safety of people in a road vehicle. ISO 26262 is the international functional safety standard for the automotive industry, and meeting it is a condition for taking part in safety-related programmes such as ADAS, electrification and autonomous driving. At Ariol Automotive, we help suppliers, engineering service providers and OEMs implement ISO 26262 and prepare the evidence their customers and auditors expect.

ISO 26262 is the functional safety standard for electrical and electronic (E/E) systems in road vehicles. It is derived from the generic IEC 61508 standard and adapted to the automotive lifecycle. Its goal is to make sure that any component or system that may affect the safety of people is developed, validated and managed with the rigour the industry demands, avoiding unreasonable risk caused by malfunctioning behaviour of E/E systems.

The standard applies across the entire lifecycle of a product with a safety function, from concept and development through production, operation, service and decommissioning. It is not limited to one project phase: it requires a safety culture and a working framework embedded in the whole organisation. The current edition is ISO 26262:2018, the second edition, and a third edition is under development.

ISO 26262 does not certify organisations the way ISO 9001 does. Instead, conformity is shown through evidence: a functional safety management system, defined safety plans, the work products required at each phase, and a documented safety case. The standard also requires “confirmation measures” (reviews, functional safety audits and functional safety assessments) to check that the safety activities were carried out properly, and many customers ask for independent assessment of those results.

In practice, people and customers call this “ISO 26262 certification” or “ISO 26262 compliance”. It means being able to prove, with traceable and auditable evidence, that your products and processes meet the standard. That is what we help you build.

OEMs and major Tier 1 suppliers require their vendors to provide evidence of ISO 26262 conformance before awarding new projects. Without a system aligned to the standard, companies risk being excluded from the supply chain, losing contracts or being locked out of high-growth areas such as electric vehicles and autonomous systems.

Beyond commercial access, ISO 26262 gives you a structured and demonstrable way to manage risk, reducing your exposure to field failures and their legal and reputational consequences. As system complexity grows and the margin for error shrinks, a solid and auditable process makes the difference.

• Gap analysis: we compare your current processes and work products with ISO 26262 and the ASIL levels your projects need.
• Functional safety management: we help you define the safety plan, roles, responsibilities and safety culture.
• HARA and safety concept: we support hazard analysis, ASIL determination, safety goals and the functional safety concept.
• Safety requirements and safety case: we help you derive requirements, keep traceability and build the evidence for your safety case.
• Audit and assessment readiness: we run internal audits and pre-assessments so you are ready for customer and independent reviews.