Use case
Software Resilience & Continuity Assurance, Operational Resilience, Third-Party Risk Management
Industry
Automotive Manufacturing
Services
A leading automotive manufacturer was undertaking a significant electric vehicle battery plant initiative, supported by a major technology supplier within the global EV battery market. The program represented a multibillion-dollar investment and involved a complex technology stack made up of 25 separate applications.
Although the account was formally established with Escode in 2025, the organization had active software escrow agreements dating back to the mid-1990s. For this new initiative, the manufacturer needed more than contractual protection. It needed practical evidence that the software materials held in escrow could support continuity if a release event occurred.
The manufacturer was relying on a strategically important supplier for a large-scale plant program, while managing operational, geopolitical, and procurement considerations across a broad software environment. With 25 applications in scope, the escrow arrangement was not a simple deposit exercise. It required a coordinated verification approach that could prove the completeness and buildability of the deposited materials.
Negotiations began in October 2023, with the software escrow agreement going live in February 2025 under a three-year upfront commitment. Verification was agreed conceptually for each application from the outset, but the scale of the work meant the process needed to be carefully structured, sequenced, and managed across multiple stakeholders.
Escode developed a tailored verification plan designed to balance technical assurance with operational efficiency. The approach included an EaaS Control contract, 25 Standard Build Verifications, and 25 Independent Build Verification exercises.
To keep delivery practical, related applications were grouped and verified in batches over an agreed timeframe. Standard Build Verifications were completed first, confirming that the deposited source code and associated materials could be rebuilt into working applications in the software owner’s environment. Independent Build Verifications then followed, providing further evidence that the escrow materials could be rebuilt and validated outside the supplier’s infrastructure. This gave the manufacturer confidence that, if the vendor were to cease trading, breach contractual obligations, or otherwise become unable to support a critical application, it would have access to verified escrow materials capable of supporting an orderly transition. Rather than facing disruption, the manufacturer would be in a stronger position to assume control of the application, maintain day-to-day operations, reduce the risk of production delays, and protect the business from the financial impact of an unavailable or unsupported system.
The engagement was supported by a consultative Escode team spanning account management, technical verification, commercial, leadership, and legal expertise. This helped maintain momentum across a stakeholder group and enabled the manufacturer to move from a project-specific software escrow requirement toward a broader global policy for identifying software escrow needs, defining trigger criteria, and determining where verification should become standard practice.
“Surprisingly, we don’t already have a formal business continuity policy and this helped us realize we need to put something more concrete together.”
By June 2026, the software escrow agreement was live, all 25 Standard Build Verifications had been delivered, and approximately 15 of the 25 Independent Build Verifications had been completed. The work provided the automotive manufacturer with clearer evidence of software continuity readiness and helped prompt a more structured approach to business continuity and software escrow governance across its global procurement function.
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