Having worked for Automotive Industry clients for over a decade,
not once did I ever have one tell me that they could not make the
products they wanted because there was no tooling. However, a
recent study by Harbour Results Inc. says that the Automotive
Industry better worry about tooling. As reported by Automotive News, the study concluded that
there is already a 40 % bottleneck in the ability to make vehicles.
Other concerning statistics: within 5 years, the industry will be
$6 billion short of tooling capacity; new models over the next 5
years could need as many as 3,000 new tools; and North America lost
one-third of its tooling manufacturers in the most recent
recession.
So what does this mean for the industry? Well, if you have a
supplier, you better make sure that they have the capacity to make
your products. You should review your current contracts and
consider how they may be impacted by a shortage in tooling. Who
will bear the burden of that economic issue?
