GXO managing director Martin Cooper urged automakers to shift from hyper-optimized LEAN and JIT networks toward resilience and adaptability.
He cited semiconductor shortages and broader supply instability as exposing limits of efficiency-first models built for predictable conditions.
Priority areas included smarter inventory strategies, real-time visibility, flexible network design, predictive analytics, and end-to-end orchestration across suppliers and transport.
Cooper highlighted the automotive aftermarket as a near-term automation opportunity to improve accuracy, throughput, and variability control amid rising complexity.
He argued longer-term partnerships are needed to sustain investment beyond procurement cycles, citing a high-density aftermarket rollout that cut cycle times.
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