SUPPLIER EYE

As mid-summer passes, the industry still is gritting its teeth amidst the restart from three months of COVID-driven paralysis. OEMs and suppliers are bracing for a potential second wave, along with the impact of slower overall vehicle demand. Now is a good time for companies to revisit forward strategies.

A critical element of any reboot is understanding the competitive landscape. Too often suppliers build out their short and long-term strategies with little consideration of how current or potentially new competitors could impact strategic initiatives. This already was happening in the months prior to the global lockdown. Now, as the industry shifts toward electrified propulsion and rising penetration of automated driver-assistance (ADAS) content/functionality, knowledge of how well both the incumbent and emergent competitors are poised for the future is ever more useful.