Insights from Plante Moran’s Angela Johnson
Warranty outcomes don’t exist in isolation. They reflect the strength — or strain — of the relationships between OEMs and their suppliers. That’s the core focus of the annual research led by Plante Moran and presented at the MAPconnected Vehicle Service & Warranty Lifecycle Summit.
This year, Angela Johnson, Supplier Relations Analytics Principal at Plante Moran, joined us to share fresh insights drawn directly from real-time polling conducted with Summit attendees. Her work builds on the long-standing North American Automotive Working Relations Index, expanding the lens to include warranty-specific engagement and performance factors grounded in the voices of the leaders in the room.
And one takeaway became unmistakably clear:
Relationships can outperform inefficiencies — if the right dynamics are in place.
Why Relationships Matter in Warranty Performance
Despite process gaps, misalignment, or operational friction, Johnson explained that three variables consistently influence whether OEM–supplier relationships remain effective:
1. Cultural Similarity
Do both sides understand how the other thinks, works, and makes decisions?
Cultural alignment — or at least a willingness to understand each other’s perspectives — reduces friction and drives more constructive engagement.
2. Strategic Significance
Is the relationship important enough to prioritize?
When both parties view the partnership as essential, they push harder to solve problems, collaborate, and elevate warranty performance.
3. Peer Connectivity
Do the people actually doing the work know each other?
When account teams, engineers, warranty leaders, and field teams stay connected, the relationship becomes more resilient — even when formal processes aren’t perfect.
According to Johnson, these three factors can overcome operational inefficiencies, strengthen collaboration, and create higher levels of relationship satisfaction across the warranty lifecycle.
Why This Research Matters for the Industry
OEM–supplier relationships affect everything from claim turnaround time to quality feedback loops to how quickly systemic issues are identified and addressed.
By understanding the relational drivers behind performance, organizations can:
- Improve supplier engagement
- Reduce recurring quality issues
- Strengthen communication across warranty and engineering
- Build more efficient feedback loops
- Improve satisfaction on both sides of the partnership
This Summit-driven research continues to provide a 360-degree view of where relationships are strong — and where improvement is urgently needed.
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