As companies struggle to be successful in the current economy, many are looking to boost profits by responding to a demand for smarter products. To accomplish this, they are incorporating embedded systems into their products. While this approach offers exciting opportunities for innovation, it also adds a level of complexity. Not only do products with embedded systems consist of an interdependent mix of components from different engineering disciplines, there is zero tolerance for bugs and the requirements from embedded systems constantly change. All this must be navigated while still getting products to market quickly to beat the competition. Companies that successfully address these challenges are reaping the benefits with higher profitability.