Scaling ambition into reality by strengthening resource planning and building resilient NPD systems to close the gap between vision and execution in automotive innovation.
11 Aug 2025 | 3008 Views | By Vivek Chopra & Suhas Kini, Vector Consulting Group
Many automotive firms launch ambitious long-term growth initiatives—such as ‘Vision 2030’ - with clear objectives and early enthusiasm. Executives align resources, employees feel energised, and product roadmaps are drawn up. Yet research shows that up to 70% of such initiatives fail to meet their targets, as momentum fades and unforeseen ...
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Many automotive firms launch ambitious long-term growth initiatives—such as ‘Vision 2030’ - with clear objectives and early enthusiasm. Executives align resources, employees feel energised, and product roadmaps are drawn up. Yet research shows that up to 70% of such initiatives fail to meet their targets, as momentum fades and unforeseen obstacles emerge. Companies are left struggling to bridge the gap between bold vision and grounded execution.
While it’s tempting to blame these failures on over-optimism or flawed assumptions, the root challenge runs deeper. Automakers often cannot scale their new product development (NPD) organisations fast enough to keep pace with expanding ambitions and the sector’s intensifying demands.
This strain is most visible in the growing volume and complexity of tasks NPD teams must juggle. Automakers are under constant pressure to launch new models, respond to shifting consumer preferences, comply with tightening global regulations, and deliver frequent product updates. These demands are further amplified by two compounding forces—routine facelifts and regulatory changes—both of which become more demanding as product portfolios expand. Critically, new rules and tech updates often apply retroactively, not just to future models but to those already on the market, drastically increasing the NPD workload.
This leads to an increase in NPD demands. A company doubling its model count doesn’t just face twice the effort; the burden can triple or more, as marketing and regulatory expectations rise in parallel. Compared to industries like pharma or electronics—where update and compliance cycles are more contained—automotive NPD faces uniquely intense and converging pressures.
As firms plan ambitious long-term launches, uncertainty inevitably sets in—especially around newer, innovative models. Delays in one program overlap with urgent updates in another, and surprise regulatory requirements throw even the best-laid plans into disarray. When leadership tries to 'make do' with limited capacity, productivity suffers, and timelines slip. The result: delayed launches, lost market share, and missed growth targets—even when resources are already stretched thin.
The solution lies in adopting a rigorous approach to long-term resource and capacity planning. Rather than relying on projections, firms need planning methods that reflect real workload complexity—accounting for overlapping tasks and cross-functional interdependencies. Protecting NPD teams from overload through better task prioritisation and building adaptive, 'anti-fragile' systems can help firms thrive amid volatility. With visibility into actual workloads, leaders can respond swiftly—through timely staffing, flexible hiring, or resource reallocation.
Only by combining robust long-term planning with an adaptive execution can automotive firms hope to translate their vision into reality in an industry where the pace of change is only accelerating.
Vivek Chopra is the Partner & Suhas Kini is the Associate Partner, Vector Consulting Group. Views expressed are the author's personal.