---
title: "Winning in Automotive: The Power of Early Customer Collaboration"
description: Discover how early customer collaboration drives success in the automotive industry, featuring insights from Guillermo Cano of Magna International.
---

[Powering Performance | AIAG](https://blog.aiag.org)

# [Winning in Automotive: The Power of Early Customer Collaboration](https://blog.aiag.org/winning-in-automotive-the-power-of-early-customer-collaboration)

 Written by [AIAG](https://blog.aiag.org/author/aiag) | Mar 27, 2025 3:44:05 PM

**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](https://autosupplychainprophets.com/episode/inside-magnas-strategy-winning-business-through-early-customer-collaboration) 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](https://autosupplychainprophets.com/episode/inside-magnas-strategy-winning-business-through-early-customer-collaboration)** to start listening today! 

[View full post](https://blog.aiag.org/winning-in-automotive-the-power-of-early-customer-collaboration)

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