How OEM Supply Projects Work
What an OEM supply project involves — interface agreement, process qualification and production-part approval — and what we need from a buyer to move through these stages without rework.
What an OEM supply project actually involves
Supplying a vehicle manufacturer is not a matter of having the right part at the right price. It is a project with a defined sequence — interface agreement, process qualification, production-part approval, then series supply under continuous monitoring. Most problems in OEM supply relationships originate in the first two stages, long before the first production shipment leaves.
Stage 1 — Interface agreement, early
The most expensive changes in a vehicle programme are the ones made late. Our involvement starts while the electrical and mechanical interfaces are still fluid: connector type and keying, mounting geometry, sealing requirements, voltage and current ratings, and the environmental conditions the part must survive. Agreeing these on paper before tooling is ordered is what prevents a redesigned housing three months later.
Stage 2 — Process qualification
Once the interface is fixed, the process has to be proven capable of reproducing it at volume — not merely of producing one good sample. That means defined control plans for the characteristics that matter, statistical process control on key dimensions, and documented capability studies: the APQP and SPC discipline vehicle manufacturers expect. It also means agreeing in advance what "in control" will be measured against, so that both sides read the same data the same way.
Stage 3 — Production-part approval and series supply
Approval is a gate rather than a formality: the part, the process and the documentation all have to be shown to meet the specification, and any deviation has to be agreed rather than shipped. After approval, supply is managed against a delivery schedule — and in most programmes the schedule is pulled rather than pushed, which means a supplier's responsiveness matters as much as its capacity.
What we need from a buyer to move quickly
To progress through the stages above without rework, we need the interface drawing or a sample, the performance specification and the reference standards it cites, the annual volume and call-off pattern, the destination plant, and the required approval level. Programmes move fastest when these are available at the start rather than collected along the way.
Scope and status of this page
This page describes how we run OEM supply projects and the requirements we work to. It is not a published case study and it does not quantify the results of any specific programme. Capability figures, yields, lead times and programme details are specific to each project, are confidential, and are made available to a buyer only under an agreed confidentiality arrangement and on a case-by-case basis. If you need evidence for a particular programme, ask us and we will provide it through the appropriate channel.