Solving Challenges in OEM-Supplier Data Exchange
OEM-supplier data exchange is a critical function, yet it's often a minefield of potential problems, with a serious impact if left unaddressed. Mistakes occurring anywhere in this highly complex process don't just cause minor hiccups; they can incur significant costs, lead to project delays, introduce production errors, and damage trust in commercial relationships.
In our recent webinar on the topic, our expert panel, including industry experts Paul Card (Contechs) and Martin Sandmann (Yanfeng) alongside our Senior Data Consultant, Matt Bloxham, discussed the most common pitfalls in the data exchange process and how suppliers can mitigate these – very real – risks. To see the full discussion, you can access the webinar recording here: Mastering Automotive OEM Demands: Getting Supplier Data Exchange Right
You can find more in-depth discussion on trends in digital engineering in our upcoming webinars
System diversity and format chaos
The sheer number of systems and data formats demanded by different OEMs is probably the most obvious burden that suppliers face. As Martin Sandmann illustrated, at Yangfeng, a global Tier 1 supplier, they manage 62 CATIA V5 environments and 11 NX environments in order to service their relationships, both with OEMs and their own suppliers.
The costs and complexities of licensing, maintaining, updating, and training staff on such a wide array of disparate systems can be substantial, presenting challenges for any organisation, but particularly impacting smaller suppliers with fewer resources. And the common practice of translating data between different CAD formats (e.g., native files to neutral formats like STEP or JT) also introduces risk. As Martin notes, “any type of conversion or translation of data risks losing information.”
Newer platforms like CATIA V6/3DEXPERIENCE offer advanced capabilities, but they also introduce their own interoperability challenges, which make life difficult for suppliers who need to be able to work with data outside the OEM's insular environment.
The high cost of miscommunication and unclear expectations
Assumptions are a dangerous thing when it comes to automotive data exchange. There are many horror stories where suppliers thought they understood an OEM's quality requirements or formatting standards, shipped the data, but then had it rejected because it didn't fit the customer's downstream processes.
It’s a surprisingly common problem, caused by a lack of clear, explicit communication and well-defined guidelines from the outset. Without this clarity, suppliers can be left guessing, leading to wasted effort, delays, and frustration.
As Majenta’s James Smith observed during the discussion, “suppliers often feel pulled from pillar to post” when expectations aren't clearly articulated before work begins, or worse still, shift mid-way through a project. The result? An erosion of trust and significant strain on vital OEM-supplier relationships.
Battling data quality demons and integrity issues
The stringent data quality requirements mandated by OEMs are essential to ensuring smooth operation in downstream automation, simulation, and manufacturing processes. But for many suppliers, meeting them is a persistent challenge.
Validating the quality of translated, non-native data (like STEP or JT files), as Martin Sandmann explained in our webinar, can pose particular difficulties. Errors, especially subtle ones, introduced during the translation process, such as loss of metadata or geometric inaccuracies, may go unnoticed until OEMs attempt to integrate the data – at which point they become significant issues. Paul Card from Contex agreed, mentioning the technical difficulties that can arise in ensuring aspects such as surface continuity after data translation.
And as ever, human error remains an additional and unavoidable factor, for example, overlooking design modifications, exporting data with incorrect settings applied, or failing to adhere to the requisite modelling standards.
Cross-border challenges and resource gaps
For companies operating across multiple global regions, there’s another layer of complexity to consider. Paul Card touched on this, listing the challenges of managing data exchange across time zones, dealing with varying IT infrastructure reliability (including issues with VPN or VDI connections), and ensuring teams in different locations are aligned.
Compounding this is the fact that many suppliers, especially smaller ones, simply lack the financial resources or specialised personnel required to meet the diverse and demanding technical requirements characteristic of large OEMs. Finding or developing the niche expertise needed for certain OEM-specific tools, quality validation processes, or data exchange protocols can represent a significant barrier to entry or successful project execution.
Don't let these challenges derail your projects
If you’re struggling with challenges related to system diversity, communication breakdowns, data quality assurance, and resource constraints, Majenta can help. Our suite of data services provides suppliers with a choice of models for effective, secure and reliable OEM data exchange, allowing your teams to focus on engineering, innovation and growth. To learn more, get in touch with one of our expert team using the link below.
