Auto supplier working relations: Top 10 takeaways from the 2020 WRI® Study

Business continuity challenges, much like the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, remind us how crucial flexibility, resilience, and preparedness are to the supply chain. Those key factors are built on strong working relations between the customer and the supplier. The North American Automotive OEM-Supplier Working Relations Index® (WRI®) Study surveyed 840 suppliers and six OEMs and analyzed the extensive data to measure the degree of trust between suppliers and their customers.

Results of the 2020 WRI® Study are in, and we’ve distilled the data into 10 actionable insights, including:

• Overall findings, such as the widening spread in rank and what it means to the industry’s restart.
• Key drivers of results among both higher and lower performers.
• Where OEMs should focus to move the needle on improved working relations.
• Tangible benefits — beyond price — of trust in OEM-supplier working relations.
• How to turn WRI® data into change that drives profitability.

Especially now, as the auto industry refocuses in our new COVID-19 world and rethinks the future of mobility — including connected, autonomous, shared, and electric vehicles — both OEMs and suppliers can leverage the 2020 WRI® Study results to better position themselves for the road ahead.

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