Massive restructuring is underway to focus on post-pandemic liquidity issues and new realities. On the agenda is freeing capital to invest in next-generation mobility. At the same time, startups with new operating models are forcing change, while M&A activity is picking up pace for lower-tier suppliers.

The competition for talent continues to heat up on the heels of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Touchless” processes for customer engagement are now the norm, and the industry is focusing on new challenges such as improving data connectivity, managing over-the-air updates, moving to 5G, and delivering consumer-friendly applications. Today’s workforce needs the skills to meet these new needs.

As business models change, the customer experience is becoming the new differentiator. Every engagement point in the value chain matters – from the dealership experience to aftermarket interactions. At the same time, fewer customers are buying fewer cars. To help facilitate buying, captive finance has become more important than ever.

As new tariffs and shifting global trade realities impact profitability, automakers are reengineering supply chains to drive agility and create free cash flow. Meanwhile, overall vehicle profitability is increasingly important to support captive fleets and logistics operations.