DreCo Insights | Case study

Getting into Chrysler: the Pacifica story

Breaking into an established supply chain is not quick. Chrysler had their suppliers. Long-standing relationships, locked-in processes, no obvious reason to change. We spent months getting to a position where they would listen.

This is what that looked like in practice.

The starting point

We ran two conversations simultaneously: one with Chrysler directly, one with the Tier 1 supplier who would receive the project allocation.

At Chrysler headquarters, the focus was on understanding their specific challenges. Not selling. Understanding.

At Tier 1 level, we positioned ourselves as a reliable Tier 2 partner. The goal was to be part of the conversation when the project was allocated, not to displace the Tier 1 supplier.

↳ By the time Chrysler awarded the programme, we had working relationships at every level of the decision chain.

What we found

Once inside the process, we identified three things Chrysler needed to solve for the Pacifica interior:

1. Reduce weight

2. Simplify assembly

3. Deliver features that mattered to the end user

We also found specific problems in the existing solution that no one had addressed:

• Components that were over-engineered and too heavy

• Misaligned specifications driving up tooling budgets

• Assembly risk caused by parts that looked too similar on the left and right sides

↳ Each of these became a specific, quantified improvement we could offer.

What we changed

We redesigned around those three problems. The results were measurable:

• Tooling costs reduced by 50% through design changes

• Assembly speed increased by 30% using fast-mounting poka-yoke solutions

• End-user performance improved with automotive-approved features

We communicated the outcome, not the method. Chrysler needed efficiency and simplicity. We showed them the numbers, not the process behind them.

↳ When you name the problem before the client does, the conversation moves faster.

Results

Tooling cost reduction

50% through design changes

Assembly speed

+30% with poka-yoke fast-mount solutions

Programmes won

Two Pacifica interior programmes

Suppliers displaced

Long-standing Tier 2 incumbents on both programmes

Market impact

Established as trusted Tier 2 partner in the US and Europe

What I took from this

Getting into a new account at OEM level takes patience. Months, not weeks. But the approach is repeatable.

• Do the research before you knock

• Build relationships at every level at the same time

• Find the problems the current supplier is not solving

↳ Then offer proof, not promises.

Chrysler’s procurement team began reconsidering how they evaluated new suppliers. We went from being unknown in that supply chain to being a trusted partner on critical programmes.

If you are trying to get into a supply chain that looks closed, that is exactly the work I do.