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Chris Atkinson

The 6 steps to finding CASE-capable consultants

There are questions that many OEMs and Tier 1s ask themselves, but rarely get answers they can act upon -

  • What is our competitor's strategy?

  • What new features should we develop?

  • What do our customers really want?

  • Which disruptive companies should we be worrying about?

  • Which emerging trends should we start planning for?

  • How do we make our services profitable?

  • How do we make our system easier to use / safer / more secure?


Finding these answers internally can be difficult… looking externally can be daunting. So, what should you be looking for?


Step 1 – Find focus


Specific, informed strategies need specific, informed teams. Look for experts in your field. Whether you need a problem solved, strategy formed, or trends mapped - everything will be easier if your answers are coming from a team immersed in CASE-S (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electrified & Secure).



Step 2 – End-to-end in-house


Find an independent team that works end-to-end, using their own data, researchers, analysts, and methodologies. This way, you will be getting results based on the team’s data. Many consulting firms need to buy data in, at marked-up costs, which you will likely end up absorbing. Without a deep understanding of how this information was created, it's difficult for them to effectively analyse it.



Step 3 – Speaking your language


Look for a team that is engineering-based, but operates in the real world. Whatever your problem, you will need the answer to provide a bridge between product planners and engineers. Look for a team formed from CASE experts from the automotive industry, with a history of working inside OEMs and Tier 1s, who have been in your shoes and will quickly understand what you are looking for.



Step 4 – Go local… globally


Ideally, you will want to find a team with offices in all major automotive industry hotspots. Aim for independent too. You don’t want to be upsold other products and solutions you don’t need.



Step 5 – Request actionable data and strategy


Reams of paper at the end of the project will likely not help you. Demand advice and strategy that is to the point, easy to understand, and actionable.



Finally…


Ask the team to answer your “so what” question.

“OEM X’s services will be market-ready in 2 years” “So what?” “So, it will likely start cannibalizing yours in 3 years. Here’s what you need to do”

When you’ve found a CASE consulting team that does all of this, request a meeting.



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