About the Client
A mid-sized automotive OEM (passenger vehicles, global footprints) asked Nexus to help during a critical supplier selection for a next-generation ADAS suite. The program was strategic: embedded sensor + software packages that would ship across multiple models. The client needed real, operational feedback, not just spec sheets, so they could choose a partner that would perform in production and in service networks worldwide.
The Challenge
Hidden integration and service risks
ADAS performance depends on calibration, vehicle electrical architecture, and dealer/service capability. Paper specs looked comparable, but the OEM couldn’t see how each supplier behaved in real fleets or after months in the field.
Safety, regulatory and warranty exposure
Small reliability issues can create outsized recall or warranty costs. The team needed to understand likely failure modes, calibration drift, and typical time-to-repair.
Compressed decision window
The program had tight milestones; the OEM couldn’t wait for lengthy lab pilots or dozens of on-site visits.
Our Approach
Precision sourcing of field-facing experts
We screened and assembled a panel of 22 practitioners: ex-OEM ADAS integration leads, dealership calibration technicians, fleet maintenance managers, Tier-2 sensor integrators, and former regulatory compliance officers. Every profile was vetted for recent, hands-on experience with ADAS installs and service.
Structured, role-specific interviews
Calls used a short, repeatable guide covering calibration routines, typical part-failure stories, software update behavior, dealer skill gaps, and average repair times. We intentionally asked for real examples and rough cost impacts.
On-the-ground triangulation
For the two suppliers the OEM was most interested in, we ran rapid reference checks with prior customers and (where available) spoke to technicians who had done day-to-day calibrations for those systems.
Decision-ready synthesis
We delivered a concise insight pack: a supplier heatmap (integration risk, service burden, upgrade path), anonymized frontline quotes, and three recommended contract clauses to reduce warranty exposure (calibration SLAs, firmware rollback provisions, and technician training milestones).
Results & Impact
Delivered in under three weeks, the engagement gave the OEM clear, actionable intelligence:
- 22 expert interviews completed and 5 supplier reference checks.
- Shortlisted 2 suppliers (from an original 7) with documented trade-offs; one supplier removed after multiple technicians flagged persistent calibration drift in low-temperature conditions.
- Estimated warranty exposure reduced by ~35% in the OEM’s internal model after we identified and recommended contract and training mitigations.
- Negotiation leverage: the OEM added calibration SLA language and a staged rollout requirement, terms informed directly by our findings—that saved an estimated $1.1M in potential early warranty and service costs.
- Faster decision-making: the insight pack cut follow-up field checks and trimmed the supplier decision timeline by two weeks, letting the program stay on its launch schedule.
The OEM called the work “practical, directly operational, and invaluable for our procurement and engineering teams.” Nexus continues to support them with ongoing supplier monitoring and technician readiness checks as the ADAS rollout scales to new markets.
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