Auto News 5

Relations between vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers is a subject area that has always provoked debate. For all the talk of the benefits of collaborative activity, the need for investment in shared and emerging technologies, 'best cost' rather than lowest cost, one reality is that OEMs look for 'productivity gains' from their suppliers in the relentless quest for lower cost and better competitiveness. An annual survey of suppliers in North America charts the state of current relations, viewed from the supplier standpoint.