Test to Know. Test to Grow. Test Together.
Quality risks discovered late cost time, money and trust: they put releases at risk, delay development programs and strain customer relationships.
I help companies take control of quality from day one. Risks become visible earlier, releases become more reliable and development programs become predictable.
More than 15 years in embedded and mechatronic programs with safety-critical requirements: from regulated development environments and international teams through to enterprise-wide test and V&V governance.
The situation
Quality risks arise early but often only become visible once deadlines, budgets and customer relationships are already under pressure. Does one of these situations sound familiar?
The release date is approaching while critical defects keep appearing. Reliable statements on timing and maturity are missing.
A solid plan with clear priorities, accountabilities and a reliable release forecast.
Stabilize the program →The test team is working at capacity, regression cycles take a long time, and critical defects still surface late.
Test effort applied where the greatest risk sits, and a visible reduction in unnecessary cost of quality.
Optimize test effort →Reports, quality gates and status meetings deliver plenty of information but no clear basis for a decision.
Transparency on maturity, residual risk and concrete options for a confident release decision.
Assess the test strategy →Development, test and quality are all committed, but there are no binding roles, decision paths or quality gates.
A V&V governance that surfaces risks early and prepares release decisions reliably.
Build V&V governance →Agile release trains deliver on cadence, yet test strategy, quality gates and V&V practices are not effectively anchored in the operating model.
Quality anchored as a fixed part of every increment – with clear criteria, a test strategy and effective V&V practices.
Anchor built-in quality →A key role is vacant or overloaded while teams, defects and release readiness still need to be coordinated.
Fast operational leadership and a reliable interface between development, test, quality and management.
Take over on an interim basis →Services
Depending on where your development program stands, I help you stabilize acute quality risks, direct test effort more effectively, build governance structures, or take temporary ownership of test and quality assurance.
When you need a first solid assessment fast.
A focused short review of your test and quality assurance: the biggest risks and quickest levers in days rather than weeks.
Request a quick check → Assessment · a few weeksWhen it is unclear where the biggest quality and governance risks sit.
A concise assessment report with prioritized fields of action and quick levers: clarity within weeks.
Discuss an assessment → Urgent engagement · weeksWhen start of production is wobbling and system test is reporting critical defects.
Your program becomes predictable again: a solid picture of residual risk, timing and release readiness, so you can act on facts instead of hope.
Discuss a critical program → Optimization · project-basedWhen a lot of testing happens but risk barely falls.
Direct test effort to where it reduces risk: measurably less effort at the same or higher level of confidence.
Review test effort and impact → Interim mandate · monthsWhen a key role has to be filled immediately.
Experienced operational leadership from day one: test, development, quality and management from a single source.
Ask about availability → Build-up · several monthsWhen quality needs to be managed more effectively from the start.
Quality gates, roles and criteria that genuinely carry release decisions instead of merely documenting them.
Explore the governance approach →In a short intro call we assess your situation together. Afterwards you will know which step is worth taking first.
No-obligation intro call →My approach
My approach turns quality into a management instrument, along three interlocking lines of effect.
Make risks, maturity and remaining uncertainties visible: with a clear test strategy, meaningful metrics and verifiable entry and exit criteria.
Release decisions based on facts instead of gut feel.
Evolve test strategy, V&V governance and processes so that programs become more stable, more efficient and more predictable.
Programs that deliver reliably and predictably.
Align development, test, quality and management on shared goals and criteria. Quality is not created in one department. It is created through collaboration.
No nasty surprises at the interfaces.
What this means for you Fewer late surprises, confident release decisions and programs that management and customers trust again.
The three lines of effect depend on each other: transparency shows where structures need to improve. Better structures deliver more reliable information. And neither holds unless all disciplines share the same goals and criteria.
This is how quality moves from a downstream inspection step to a management tool for the program: it gives direction earlier, makes conflicting objectives visible before they escalate, and creates the basis for decisions that hold.
How this looked in real programs: case studies →About me
You are not buying a catalog of methods. You are gaining a thought partner who surfaces risks early, speaks plainly and takes ownership.
I combine technical depth, governance experience and business understanding, and translate between management, development, test and quality.
I align quality not only with test coverage but with predictability, time to market, cost of quality and customer trust.
Five programs with ASIL-B to ASIL-D requirements successfully guided through to series production – in safety-critical and regulated development environments.
Led international test organizations across five countries and aligned teams across sites, functions and cultures.
I establish gates, metrics and decision paths that give teams clear direction and speed up decisions, without unnecessary bureaucracy.
I align teams across departments and locations on shared goals and create commitment, even without line authority.
Proven core environment: automotive, embedded systems, mechatronics as well as safety-critical and regulated development. Transferable to: medtech, mechanical engineering, robotics, aerospace, industrial automation and IT.
Discuss your situation in person →Testimonials
I valued working with Tobias exceptionally highly. He is an extremely structured and strategically minded expert. What stands out in particular is his ability to align R&D, quality and systems engineering across departmental boundaries. Tobias gets to the core of complex topics and drives sustainable improvements. Both professionally and organizationally he is a clear asset. He brings deep technical expertise and moves critical projects forward very effectively.
Dr. Erhardt Wunderlich · Quality Coach · Member of the German Testing Board (GTB) e.V. · Head of the Software Test Regional Group Berlin/Brandenburg, ASQF e.V.
I have always experienced working with Tobias Schmidt as trusting and effective. What impressed me was his personal commitment to project success. He voluntarily took on demanding and critical topics that were not directly within his remit. His open and clear communication, together with his reliability in keeping commitments, contributed substantially to our successful collaboration.
Nils Brückner · Manager Battery Management Systems · Porsche AG
Tobias takes ownership, grasps complex topics quickly and stays effective even in difficult situations. He combines deep expertise in V&V and test strategy with a clear eye for cost and test efficiency. In doing so he aligns development, test, quality and management on shared quality and delivery goals. He brings people together, builds structures that last and turns concepts into real implementation.
Thomas Weber · former Director System Engineering & Test · Marquardt GmbH
Tobias made a decisive contribution to stabilizing a critical project situation. Particularly noteworthy are his focus on risk-based prioritization and his ability to enable confident, data-based release decisions in a complex, cross-functional setup.
Michael Hall · Head of Functional Test, BU Entry & Access Systems · Marquardt GmbH
What I appreciated most was his calm, structured way of handling complex test and V&V topics. In a demanding environment he brought clarity, focus and transparency. As part of his test governance initiative I had the opportunity to be part of the network he led, which created real practical value for the organization with a goal-oriented approach and positive energy. I have always experienced Tobias as a committed, open and highly competent colleague and look forward to working with him again.
Thorsten Geiselhart · Senior Expert Testing & Processes · Member of the German Testing Board (GTB)
In an agile project where Tobias acted as Product Owner, I saw how effectively he brought people from different engineering disciplines together into a genuine high-performance team. What impressed me most was his collaborative leadership style: he created an environment in which continuous learning, close cross-functional collaboration and shared ownership became the norm. Even in critical situations he remained transparent and clear in his prioritization, without sacrificing team spirit or a sustainable way of working. His approach goes beyond backlog management: he lives agile values in day-to-day interaction and enables the team to take ownership and continuously improve its processes.
Rahman Dilsiz · Enterprise Agile Coach · Marquardt GmbH
Intro call
In 30 to 45 minutes we clarify where your program stands, which risks are pressing and whether I can help. No obligation, confidential and to the point. And if I am not the right person, I will tell you so openly.