Winning in Automotive: The Power of Early Customer Collaboration

Want to win big in the automotive industry? Start by collaborating early.

That’s one of the main messages from Guillermo Cano, Chief Customer Engineer at Magna International, in the recent Auto Supply Chain Prophets podcast episode, “Inside Magna’s Strategy: Winning Business Through Early Customer Collaboration.”

Co-hosted by AIAG’s Jim Liegghio, this episode highlights how Guillermo and his team build early relationships with customers — long before contracts are awarded — to develop smarter solutions from the start.

From personal insights into prioritizing mental health in high-pressure automotive roles to driving teamwork with cross-functional collaboration, key themes include: 

• Early customer collaboration as a strategic advantage
• Risks and rewards of relationship investment before business awards
• Breaking silos for innovation and program execution
• Active listening in understanding customer needs
• Leveraging technology to improve quality and reduce development time
• Communication skills in supply chain leadership
• Mental health and leadership in high-pressure automotive roles

Ready to hear more? Click here to start listening today!