面向未来的汽车供应商：组织成功的三大要务

Three imperatives fororganizational success Managementsummary The automotive supplier industry faces significant challenges characterized byrising costs, rapid technological disruption, and fierce global competition.European suppliers, in particular, are experiencing structural inefficiencies, with EBITmargins down by three percentage points. Stagnating productivity and outdatedorganizational structures are further undermining competitiveness, while geopoliticaltensions are complicating supply chains. To navigate this complex landscape, suppliers must urgently transform their operatingmodels. We make recommendations focused on three interconnected imperatives, whichshould be addressed holistically: Achieve cost competitiveness Suppliers need to eliminate inefficiencies, particularly in overhead functions, byadopting a "zero-based" approach to streamline operations and standardize processes.Leveraging AI and automation in corporate functions, combined with fostering aperformance-driven culture through targeted incentives, is essential for maintaining costcompetitiveness. Uplift organizational speed and innovation Simplifying organizational structures and empowering frontline teams to make decisionsenhances agility and responsiveness to market demands. Focusing hiring on engineering,software, and AI capabilities, as well as developing future-ready skills, further driveinnovation and responsiveness. Strengthen organizational resilience and flexibility Breaking down silos and building cross-functional platforms for collaboration, integratingresilience into governance with shared KPIs and dashboards, and investing in changemanagement are critical steps to enhance organizational resilience and supporteffective transformation. Contents Time for change: Struggling suppliers need totransform their operating models The global automotive supplier industry is under unprecedented pressure, caught in aperfect storm of rising costs, rapid technological disruption, and intensifying competition.European suppliers, in particular, face mounting challenges, with EBIT margins structurallybelow pre-COVID levels by almost three percentage points and SG&A ratios up by 2-3percentage points. These inefficiencies, coupled with stagnating productivity and rigidlegacy setups, are eroding competitiveness, which is especially relevant given the grossmargin pressure in the automotive supplier market. In addition, geopolitical tensions areramping up risk exposure and squeezing supply chains, foreign trade, and revenue pools,further complicating operations. Meanwhile, Chinese suppliers are redefining thecompetitive landscape, operating at "China speed" and leveraging lean governance, cost-efficient platforms, and rapid decision-making to outpace their global peers.A Against this backdrop, suppliers must urgently transform their operating models to remainrelevant and future-proof. This means focusing on three interconnected imperatives: Achieve cost competitivenessby eliminating inefficiencies, leveraging automation, andfostering a performance-driven culture Uplift organizational speed and innovationthrough simplified structures, future-ready talent,and empowered decision-making Strengthen organizational resilience and flexibilityby breaking down silos, embeddingresilience metrics, and fostering cross-functional collaboration In the next chapters we look at each imperative in detail and provide concrete action areasfor implementation. To navigate the disruptionsposed by new market players,European automotive suppliersneed to transform their operatingmodels and close criticalperformance gaps." Niels Kammerer, Partner AWhile SG&A ratio declined globally since 2016, European suppliers stillchase a gap of 2-3 percentage points to their peers in North Americaand China EBIT margin per region, 2014-2024 [% of revenue] The future-proof supplier: Three imperatives totransform your organization 2.1/Achieve cost competitiveness Cost competitiveness has emerged as a critical priority for automotive suppliers due torising cost pressures, stagnating revenues, and intensifying competition. Structuralinefficiencies, particularly in overhead functions, and non-core activities are erodingprofitability. To address these challenges, suppliers must adopt a "zero-based" approach tostreamline operations and reduce costs. The aim of the approach is to eliminate non-essential tasks, standardize processes to reduce complexity, and leverage AI andautomation to increase efficiency across corporate functions. This should be supported by acost-conscious and performance-driven culture. As such, the approach focuses on threekey priorities – productivity, hiring, and performance culture. PRODUCTIVITY: EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA MUST ADDRESS THEWIDENING PRODUCTIVITY GAP WITH CHINA The productivity gap between regions is a growing concern for automotive suppliers,particularly in Europe and North America, where FTE productivity has stagnated. Despite an