Functional Safety
Conversations on Randomness of Software
This article was written by an SRES functional safety expert and examines why software failures are treated as systematic—not random—under standards such as ISO 26262
12/16/25
Defining Functional Safety in Today's Systems
Like you, we deeply care about the safety and security of our loved ones as they live, move and interact in a world dominated by complex, interconnected hardware and software.
Our core mission is to educate and support industry partners in meeting state-of-the-art standards—including ISO 26262 (Functional Safety), ISO 21448 (SOTIF), ISO 8800 (AI Safety), ISO 5083 (Safety for ADS) and ISO 21434 (Cybersecurity). We don’t just check boxes; we collaborate with you to create products that are fundamentally, responsibly safe.
We support automotive OEMs and suppliers across the full functional safety lifecycle—from early concept and hazard analysis through system and software development, safety analyses, verification, validation, and independent confirmation reviews. Our work integrates ISO 26262 with SOTIF, AI safety, and cybersecurity to reflect how modern, software-defined systems are designed, built, and assessed.
Your Journey to Compliance, Simplified
Every risk management journey is unique, shaped by your organization’s specific constraints and goals. We approach your program with an open mind to gain a holistic understanding of your ISO 26262 risk landscape.
Our 4-pillar engagement model ensures your product isn’t just compliant, but safely optimized:
- Discover: We evaluate product design artifacts, development processes, and stakeholder interactions to understand your unique starting point.
- Prepare: We develop a practical action plan, sharing technical solutions and knowledge to bridge the gap between your current state and your safety goals.
- Respond: We work closely with your team to prioritize and proactively address mission-critical risks discovered during analysis.
- Optimize: We create lasting impact by integrating process improvements and lessons learned into your framework, making your future development faster and safer.
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Gap Analysis: A Proactive Risk Response
Navigating multiple concurrent industry standards is a challenge. We offer a comprehensive gap analysis workshop to evaluate your processes and technical documentation against your desired compliance goals.
Our “Due Diligence” Process:
- Discovery: We gain an initial understanding of your processes and external interfaces via a specialized questionnaire.
- Preliminary Analysis: A virtual workshop with key stakeholders to align on organizational challenges and goals.
- Final “Due Diligence” Analysis: A tailored deep dive virtual or in-person workshop with your engineering team to verify the maturity of your design and evidence.
The Deliverable: Within two weeks, you receive a comprehensive report and executive summary. We highlight mission-critical risks immediately, allowing you to respond proactively before they impact your milestones.
Independent Confirmation Reviews: Your Bridge to Trust
In the automotive world, compliance is essential to win business and build customer trust. However, ISO 26262 does not provide prescriptive checklists, and building an internal independent review team is resource-intensive.
At SRES, we step in as your independent reviewers to ease your path toward compliance. We ensure your work products are aligned with functional safety objectives before you proceed to a formal audit. By mitigating risks early, we help you accelerate time-to-market and build a robust safety case.
We support confirmation reviews up to ASIL D (Level I3 independence) for example:
- Concept Level: HARA, Impact Analysis, and Functional Safety Concepts.
- Technical Design: Technical Safety Concepts, Safety Plans, and Integration Strategies.
- Safety Analysis: FMEA, FTA, FMEDA, and Dependent Failure/Common Cause Analysis.
- Verification: Freedom from Interference (FFI) and Validation Specifications.
Strategic Consulting & The Future of AI
We bring decades of hands-on experience to your program, specializing in the intersection of traditional safety and modern innovation. Whether you are an established OEM/supplier or a new entrant, we help you stay competitive and resilient.
- Pioneering AI Safety: We provide expert guidance on ISO/PAS 8800, ensuring your AI-driven systems are responsibly safe.
- Knowledge Transfer: We are passionate about creating a lasting impact. Our training enables your leadership and engineering teams to act as “change agents,” improving decision-making long after our collaboration ends.
- Integrated Support: We offer combined management support for Functional Safety (ISO 26262), SOTIF (ISO 21448), and Cybersecurity (ISO 21434).
Knowledge and Competence
Our consulting work is grounded in real-world engineering challenges across safety-critical automotive systems. We regularly share technical perspectives and lessons learned on our Insights page, covering functional safety, cybersecurity, autonomous systems, electric mobility, and responsible AI.
That same practical experience shapes our training. We are deeply passionate about creating a lasting impact on your organization by sharing our knowledge through high-level overviews and in-depth advanced training for leadership, engineering, and production teams—enabling them to act as well-informed change agents who improve product development, design, and decision-making.
Innovate and solve problems with us
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