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KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers
Contents
Foreword 01
Introduction 02
A Strategic Deficit? 09
Strategic Approaches 19
Conclusion 21
KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers 1
Foreword
The nancial and economic turmoil of recent months has hit many
businesses hard, but none harder than the automotive industry. Suppliers
in particular are under intense cost pressure, forcing them to look for
new low-cost patterns of sourcing and manufacturing. But KPMGs latest
research into Location Strategy suggests that if suppliers cannot devise
integrated location strategies that embrace risk as well as cost, in the
longer term they may lose out.
Introduction
In the last two decades the automotive business
has become a global, multi-location industry.
The pace of this transition from largely national
markets and national manufacturing to global
manufacturing for increasingly global markets has
been astonishingly rapid and todays economic crisis,
accompanied by sharply falling sales and prots,
is only likely to speed up this transition as companies
seek ways to increase revenues and reduce costs.
Many of the managers who how they align their global footprint to
lead todays largest automotive serve those markets. Although related,
manufacturers whether OEMs or in our definition location strategy
suppliers started their careers in an is not the same as location decision,
automotive world which began and which refers to the process of
ended with North America, Europe selecting the actual physical locations
and Japan. Now those same industrial to establish new facilities (e.g.
leaders operate in a world populated manufacturing plants) within Levels of globalization
by an ever-increasing list of newly a certain region. Global footprint of automotive
emerging economies, some of which suppliers by originating region, 2008
Lower risk makes globalization more location strategy approaches. We asked drawn and learned. If one thing is
attractive: it is a pull factor. Higher suppliers whether they have a defined clear to us from the responses the
costs make globalization a necessity: strategy that determines not only how supplier industry has given, it is that
this is a push factor. Costs have also they enter new markets but also how there is a strategic deficit when it
risen sharply. Despite recent falls, they align their global footprint with comes to implementing an integrated
the average costs of industrial raw their overall business strategy. We location strategy. This appears to be
materials and energy are high and likely asked them to rate the key factors the result of a combination of large
to remain high. In the longer term the influencing location strategy, and powerful OEM customers, competitive
cost of innovation has continued to assessed the roles these factors play pressures, and rapid globalization
rise while the return from individual for various types of suppliers. of all types of manufacturing
product models has declined. In the operations. Location decisions have
context of recession and falling sales Finally, we sought to determine frequently been made in an ad hoc
in many large economies, companies whether there exist strategic lessons fashion, often reducing profit and
have to seek ways of achieving drastic that can be applied across the supplier reducing flexibility.
improvements in their long-term cost industry. Drawing such generalized
and revenue structures. Globalization conclusions is always challenging in The automotive industry has
of operations remains one of the a populous industry where companies achieved much by becoming global,
most important ways of meeting this differ greatly by product, by market, opening new markets, enriching
cost pressure. and also by culture. new economies, cutting costs and
capturing new technologies. But it
Our member firms' conversations with Nevertheless, our conclusion is that could do better.
companies suggest that while cost generalized lessons do need to be
pressure remains a very significant
Levels of internationalization
driver of globalization, it is not the
Automotive suppliers dependence
most significant. The most important on plants abroad, 2008
driver of globalization in the auto
supplier industry is the imperative of Internationalization Index
growth. Even amid a global slowdown, Foreign plants as percentage of total plants Source:
KPMG's Supplier Database
the BRIC economies are predicted to 90
continue growing considerably faster 84.9%
80.1%
than the OECD economies where 80
growth is expected to be barely 73.6%
positive in 2009, according to World 70 68.1%
Bank forecasts released in December
2008, China is expected to grow by
60
7.5 percent in 2009, while India will
grow by 5.8 percent. The rest of the
50
developing world will grow at 2.9
percent, the World Bank believes.
Companies say they need to globalize 40
In this report we look at companies Western European suppliers depend the least on domestic plants
own interpretations of the growth, U.S. and Asian suppliers have the lowest share of non-domestic plants and therefore depend the
most on domestic production
cost, innovation and risk drivers of their
* Excluding Germany
4 KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers
KPMG member firms believe that an themselves following a strategy reduction of location risk. Brazil,
effective integrated location strategy of migrating some of their India and China, for example, have all
should be able to answer the question manufacturing and R&D investment improved their reputations for stable
what markets must our business be into the Organisation for Economic economic management over the
in? Strategy informs location decision- Co-operation and Development past decade. Political and financial
making, which will also be determined (OECD) economies. risk is now rising once more as the
by customer demands and the degree global recession spreads to emerging
of flexibility of the manufacturing This acceleration of globalization
economies, but it still remains
process. Strategy in turn will be has been facilitated by a perceived
historically low.
informed by location monitoring which
should track the risk and opportunity
profile of possible locations, and also Integration of the tasks involved in
global location management
by the potential costs and the lessons
learned from location migration. Source:
KPMG International 2005 Survey of Global
Research for this report was Location Management
undertaken against a background of
increasing opportunity and increasing
risk for automakers. Since 2005 the Location
potential of emerging markets as Strategy
Learning from previous Considering factors that
operational locations has grown, location experience affect location exibility
90
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across regions.
Database) rose to 9 percent from chart on page five shows, ownership European suppliers cross-border
only 2.2 percent during the previous of regional plants is now widely investment in manufacturing is most
decade. The proportion also rose in distributed: while it is still true that concentrated in Asia (for example
South America (from 3.4 percent to U.S., European and Asian suppliers European suppliers own 45 percent
7.9 percent). Yet the biggest rise was all continue to own and operate the of plants in China, compared with 26
recorded by Eastern Europe, where majority of their manufacturing plants percent for U.S. makers and only 29
the proportion of all worldwide plant in their home region, they also now percent for all Asian suppliers). They
building rose from 1.2 percent to own a very significant proportion of also own 50 percent of plants in South
10.1 percent. capacity both in other regions of the America and 62 percent of plants
triad, and in new markets. in Africa.
The third phase of globalization, from
2000 onwards, has seen an even U.S. suppliers remain the most
greater concentration of plant building concentrated in their domestic region;
Breakdown of plants per region by
in China and Eastern Europe, but nevertheless the proportion of U.S.
supplier origins [%]
at the expense of the rest of Asia, ownership of all manufacturing facilities
South America and Western Europe. in Europe is now close to 40 percent. Source:
The proportion of plants built in China U.S. suppliers also own the single KPMG's Supplier Database
has risen to 22.7 percent, and that in largest share of supplier manufacturing Key
Eastern Europe to 14 percent. capacity in India (47 percent) and the
Asia
second-largest share in South America Western Europe
The pattern of ownership of these (42 percent), when compared with USA
facilities confirms the largely cross- Western European and Asian suppliers. Germany
border nature of these facilities. As the Number of plants per region
80
34%
62%
47%
19%
38% 42%
39%
60 31%
32%
15%
26%
11%
46%
40
24%
22%
32%
29% 29%
25% 26% 26%
24%
20
17% 16%
16%
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Domestic production still plays a very important role for the suppliers in the sample (32-62 percent of plants in each region belong to domestic suppliers)
German and Western European suppliers are well represented over the world, U.S. suppliers are over represented in the home market (62 percent),
Japanese and South Korean companies dominate the Asian market, but have lower than average representation in India and have low share of plants
in other regions (<10 percent)
Asian suppliers remain surprisingly The recent history of globalized auto official debt crisis and default in the
little-represented in Western Europe manufacturing suggests that for many late 1990s. In Brazil erratic growth
with only 3 percent of plants although companies, robust strategy has been and confidence meant that despite
investment in both EU and non- conspicuous by its absence. The the continuing potential of the market,
EU Eastern Europe is much higher, most striking case is the relocation many companies found they had
representing 10 percent of all plants. of facilities to South America. During over-invested.
They are dominant in Japan and Korea the 1990s there was a surge in auto
(Asia I) with 50 percent of plants, and investment in the region South In interviews, some companies and
also in the rest of Asia excluding China America accounted for 7.9 percent industry insiders say they see signs
and India (Asia II) with 44 percent of of all new supplier plants worldwide that such scramble-to-manufacture
plants. Asian suppliers own 29 percent in KPMG's Supplier Database during conditions may be developing
of all plants in China, behind Western 1991-2000, compared with 3.4 today in other markets, as vehicle
European suppliers but ahead of U.S. percent during the previous decade. manufacturers encourage suppliers
suppliers. In the U.S. itself Asian In particular, plants were established to enter markets such as Russia
suppliers account for only 9 percent in Chile, in Argentina, and in Brazil. and other non-EU East European
of the manufacturing stock. locations in order to fulfil local
Such investment decisions may have content requirements.
These are the patterns of globalization been dictated by a lack of market
over the last three decades a clear forecasting, or by pressure from OEM If companies are to manage such
trend of the migration of manufacturing clients, irrespective of the outlook for pressures and form a viable long-term
across borders, led by European and manufacturing in the country or region. location strategy, they should analyse
U.S. suppliers, and, over time, favoring In the event, the auto manufacture the business drivers that determine
Asia above other alternative locations. business in Chile, which was the real benefits available in specific
Yet how much of this massive profitable only in the context of direct locations. They should also assess the
relocation of corporate resources has government support, disappeared potential for finding new growth, for
been informed by long-term location virtually overnight when government cutting existing costs, for facilitating
strategy, and how much by short-term support was withdrawn. Auto innovation, and for limiting risk.
pressures or tactical relocations, manufacturing in Argentina collapsed
is another question. in the aftermath of the countrys
KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers 9
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10 KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers
This growth differential has been declining margins in mature markets. Finding growth: follow the customer.
growing more acute in the recent The worlds automotive assemblers The Tier 1 suppliers that participated in
period. As many U.S. and some want to capture market share in the the KPMG's Supplier Survey are likely
European economies began to slow fastest growing markets of the near to experience more client pressure
during 2007, and in many cases to future and they want their chosen to relocate than lower tier suppliers,
move towards recession, the relative suppliers to be with them. Suppliers as Tier 1 products are generally more
strength of emerging economies has for their part also want to be part of sensitive to distance from assembly
become more apparent. While the the growth story, serving not only their operations.
U.S. and several European economies traditional global OEM customers but
struggle to register growth rates that also the emerging local auto makers How physically close you have to be
are positive, China, India and Brazil all who are capturing new markets with to your client depends a lot on the
continue to grow at rates well above low cost and often innovative products, characteristics of the product, says a
the world GDP growth average. such as Chinas Chery Auto and Indias German Tier 1 supplier. We consider
Tata Motors. that if you need to deliver just in time
This growth differential is a powerful products you can still be up to 200
incentive for globalization in the As one German supplier puts it: those kilometres from that client. But if you
automotive industry an industry who dont grow wont survive. need to deliver just in sequence that
challenged by low sales growth and
Source:
KPMG's Supplier Survey 2008
Key
Percentage of respondents answering yes.
To manufacture in close proximity?
To manufacture in low-cost
countries?
52%
38%
20 30 40 50 60
KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers 11
means you cannot be further than five be dependent on another German ascribed to the relatively high growth
kilometres. vehicle maker, and we could not be rate in both economies).
confident of sufficient orders from
A small majority of these suppliers other customers. The customer wants Some companies do enter new
report that they do experience us there, but suppliers can say no if markets entirely focused on winning
pressure from their OEM clients they want to. new customers, although this is rare.
to follow them to low-cost country When we went to the U.S. we did
locations. Suppliers producing Despite the risks associated with that without any guaranteed customer
customer-specific products are most customer dependence, our interviews orders, says a German Tier 1 supplier.
likely to report client pressure; global suggest that this remains the We considered that this was a market
commodity suppliers consider cost and dominant pattern of migration for some where we actually needed to invest
quality the most important factors in companies, and particularly Japanese first, and then get orders. We needed
determining location, but 60 percent of companies. Existing customers should to have production facilities in place so
those suppliers also report customer be retained, says one large Japanese that customers could visit us. And the
pressure to relocate. Such suppliers supplier. Japanese OEMs generally result was that we have carved out a
must balance the costs of client produce in the region where they sell 100 percent market share in our niche
dependence with the advantages of suppliers must follow them. in North America.
participation in what are potentially
growth markets. Finding growth: winning new Other companies and particularly
customers. Among companies Japanese companies take the opposite
It was when we followed a German participating in the KPMG's Supplier approach. The first criterion is to
vehicle maker to Brazil that we realized Survey, importance was attached follow the customer, says a Japanese
that you have to avoid building a plant almost equally to winning new supplier. It is only later that we might
for one customer, because of course customers and serving existing look for new customers. For example,
the business declined, says a German customers. However, it also appears we supply Suzuki, Honda and Toyota
supplier. You have to spread your risk that companies building or acquiring from our facility in Central and Eastern
more widely if you want to be able to new manufacturing capacity in Europe. It is only later that we will try
offer quality China and in India appear to be less to sell to European OEMs as well.
concerned about proximity to existing
This same supplier adds: the risk of customers than companies in other
dependence is why we have not built markets (a fact that may well be
a plant in China. We do not want to
Source:
KPMG's Supplier Survey 2008
Percentage of respondents answering
Key
important or very important.
Follow existing customers
Win new customers
71%
81%
100
50 60 70 80 90 100
12 KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers
KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers 13
Key
mean that we have to take millions Not important
100
5% 14% 5%
9% 38%
90
29% 24%
80
70
60 62%
57% 57%
50
40
30
20
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14 KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers
The KPMG's Supplier Survey shows lower material costs is considered may be separated by large distances,
that cost is only one motivating factor marginally more important than labor and may be in numerous jurisdictions.
for companies entering new markets: or capital costs. This surprising result Labor cost advantage usually comes
expansion decisions are also driven reflects the fact that companies still with logistics cost disadvantage, says
by the need to grow, by the need find that the costs of internationally a German Tier 1 supplier, while a U.S.
to capture skills and technology, traded raw materials and partially supplier adds that when entering new
and by the need to reduce or hedge processed commodities such as markets the key concern is supply-
financial and operational risks. And automotive steel remain cheaper in chain factors such as inbound transport
for companies that report that they some lower-cost economies. The most costs in the case of raw materials and
are primarily motivated by cost important supply-chain consideration outbound transport costs to get the
considerations, optimizing existing that we include while determining product to the customers. We also
production facilities may be more our location strategy is the cost of consider the capacity of the overall
important than relocation of production. production, including the cost of raw infrastructure to handle the
materials, according to one Indian total production volume.
Cutting costs: production supplier. Yet companies also note
optimization is more important that such cost advantages are by The companies interviewed also cite
than relocation. Almost all companies no means guaranteed in emerging a wide range of other cost drivers of
participating in the survey consider markets. A U.S. supplier comments relocation. These include government
that production optimization in existing we usually expect cost savings in incentives, regional interest rates,
operations is a more important cost all areas such as energy, land, labor, wages and trade agreements. An
reduction strategy than relocation. local government incentives, and local Australian supplier comments it will
For example, a German supplier with sourcing of cheaper materials. However ultimately depend on... the lowest
production in Hungary, Ukraine, China sometimes due to opportunity costs landed cost. For example, the FTA*
and Mexico says relocation for cost such as decrease in materials quality, between Australia and Thailand may
optimization is a largely exhausted we were not able to achieve all the make this the lowest landed cost
strategy. In the future the focus will planned cost savings. location. If an FTA did not exist, China
be more on process optimization. may offer the lowest landed cost.
Cutting costs: logistics cost in
Cutting costs: materials cost in new markets is the key constraint.
new markets is the key opportunity. Companies remain concerned about
Among those companies that are the cost of complexity that may be
primarily motivated by costs to invest introduced when operations become
in new markets, the opportunity to distributed over several locations that * FTA Free Trade Agreement
KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers 15
Key
Fundamental research
Application engineering
Process improvement
43%
71%
78%
90 100
2: Asian Development Bank
3: Car Innovation 2015, Oliver Wyman, 2007 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
16 KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers
43%
43%
38%
38%
Currency hedging
5%
5%
14%
14%
52%
52%
29%
29%
Resource hedging
18 KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers
Strategic Approaches
The KPMG's Supplier Survey suggests strongly that there is
a strategic deficit among supplier companies extending their
operations across borders. Companies are driven primarily by
growth and cost considerations; they are finding an increasing
need to exploit the innovation opportunities of new locations;
in a few cases they see globalization as a risk management
opportunity. But in very few cases do they appear to form
an integrated strategy that would embrace all of these
globalization drivers, with the aim of developing a balanced
global footprint that would be resilient in the face of
changing
100 conditions.
For example, when 90 asked what was in a specific location, and in some
the most important information they cases on innovation opportunities, but
evaluated in the 80
formation of their seldom review risks to the best case.
strategies, companies typically cited
a range of current growth and cost How should companies refine location
70 strategy into something that adjusts Suppliers were asked: what makes
indicators that might make any location
for risk and will yield a balanced global you competitive?
attractive, but in very few cases cited
60 that might take
forecast information footprint that will be resistant to
account of future alterations in the events and cycles?
Source:
attractiveness of 50locations. An Indian KPMG's Supplier Survey 2008
supplier, for example, said that the Key
most important information to be
Percentage of respondents
evaluated was the customer base answering important or
and competitive factors based on 100 very important.
100%
availability of raw material and skilled
resources. A Canadian supplier said 90
that the most important criteria were 90% 90%
ity
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Based on the responses given to our the intrinsic nature of the company acquisitions as we automatically
survey of suppliers already operating should contribute to the formation of get the customers, resources and
globalized operations, KPMG believes strategy: a company with a strongly the track record of the company,
that companies should consider centralized structure or command- says a South African supplier. The
enlarging their strategic approach and-control culture is unlikely company adds I feel that greenfield
in a number of ways. In particular, to be successful with the same would end up in a long battle for the
companies should: kind of globalization strategy as a company to establish itself. However,
decentralized organization with widely suitable acquisition targets may be
Balance external business distributed decision-making. The hard to find in emerging markets,
drivers of their location strategy. intrinsic nature of the business should and acquisition risks may be high:
Companies say they are driven to also contribute: some automotive a German supplier comments that
expand operations across borders by suppliers may manufacture complex takeover risks may be critical,
the need to find growth, to reduce assemblies with many variants that due to the lack of accounting
costs, to facilitate innovation and to need to be sequenced exactly and standards in some Indian,
manage risks. Yet in many cases the demand very close geographical links Chinese and Russian companies.
upside and downside of all these with OEM clients, while others may
factors may be more subtle or less manufacture generic products that do
clear than companies commonly not demand a specific geographical
suppose. Where markets offer the presence. Other factors such as the
promise of growth, companies capital intensity of the business, the
should consider how consistent that degree of reliance on other suppliers
growth will be over the term of the and the need for skills and stability
investment. They might consider of workforce will also shape
whether it is necessary to locate strategy according to intrinsic
in a given economy or even region business demands.
to access the expected growth.
Where companies seek to reduce Consider the relative values of
costs, they should also consider entry and exit strategies. Risks
whether direct cost reductions in and costs must determine the entry
areas like labour and raw materials and exit strategy, say companies:
are accompanied by indirect cost where risk is high, whether due to
increases in areas like logistics and untested markets or an untested
quality assurance. Where companies operating environment, costs
seek to facilitate innovation, they need to be correspondingly low.
should consider whether risks Where revenues are better assured,
and costs are best balanced by a companies may make larger and more
conservative strategy of centralized long-term investments. Greenfield
R&D or a radical strategy of globally investments are the preferred
distributed R&D. And in seeking to entry strategy for the majority of
manage risks, companies need to companies surveyed in this report,
understand that globalized operations as they offer full control: it is easier
may offer risk mitigation opportunities to control operations if the plant is
through the hedging of production, fully owned by our company, says a
currency exposure and raw Japanese supplier, while a Chinese
materials sourcing, as well as the company comments greenfield ...
increased risk challenges inherent helps us to avoid a culture conflict
in global operations. with acquired companies. However,
greenfield investment may be costly
Consider the contribution of relative to other options, not least
internal strengths and limitations. because of the time needed to
There is no one way that companies establish profitability. Acquisitions are
should go about forming a strategy potentially cheaper, as most acquired
for globalization, because companies companies come with an immediate
are different. An understanding of revenue stream. We prefer
KPMG Global Location Strategy For Automotive Suppliers 21
Conclusion
The combined results of the KPMG's Supplier Survey
and KPMG's Supplier Database show that the cycle
of globalization of automotive supplier operations is
continuing. Suppliers are both expanding operations
across borders, and moving existing capacity across
borders. Yet there is evidence that they continue to
do so in an ad-hoc fashion that may not fully adjust
for both the risks and the opportunities of globalization.
Many companies continue to exhibit a strategy deficit.
There are many possible reasons for If so, the financial and economic
such a non-strategic approach. The turmoil of recent months should
reason most often cited by suppliers serve as a reminder that location
themselves is that OEM customers strategy needs to adjust for risk
often ask suppliers to relocate near as well as opportunity.
new OEM plants irrespective of the
suppliers overall location strategy. No location in the world has proved
to be immune from the effects of
Yet some suppliers say that companies the downturn and the freezing of
sometimes overestimate the financial markets: sources of long-term
significance of customer demands capital have dried up, costs of current
for given location decisions. It is not financing have risen, currencies have
correct to suppose that OEMs always gyrated wildly and automotive demand
dictate terms to suppliers, comments has collapsed. These are all risks that
a German supplier. For example can be anticipated - at least in principle
the OEM may be willing to accept - by a balanced location strategy. And
higher prices because they want their as companies look forward to the
suppliers to survive. Where there is a likely shape of the recovery, strategic
conflict you can usually find a solution positioning will be vital if opportunities
that accommodates both parties. in both restructuring industries and
recovering markets are to be captured.
Lack of information, excessive
optimism, and unfamiliarity with the An integrated strategy is one that
principles of global manufacturing balances the sometimes competing
strategy may also play a role. It is also drivers of growth, costs, innovation
possible that the relentless growth of and risks. It should consider the
new markets over the last five years advantages and disadvantages of
has helped persuade companies that location decisions in the light not only
almost any location strategy that of the intrinsic nature of the business,
exposes them to high new-market but also the intrinsic nature of the
growth and low new-market costs company. And it can help companies
is likely to succeed. consider the long-term costs and
returns of individual entry and exit
approaches to global investment.
kpmg.com
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Publication name: Global Location Strategy
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