Powertrain Parts Supplier Benchmarking Study

Objective

The study sought to:

Approach

A B2B phone-based interview study was conducted using a standardized 30-question script across three regions. This method allowed for deeper contextual feedback, high-quality data capture, and real-time clarification of complex responses.

Methodology

Survey Design:

• Developed a structured interview guide covering brand awareness, customer needs, purchasing criteria, supplier performance, loyalty dynamics, and market trends
• Integrated a mix of open- and close-ended questions with forced ranking and satisfaction scales to generate both quantitative benchmarking and qualitative insight 

Target Respondent Profile:

• Distributors and retailers who buy directly from powertrain parts manufacturers
• Must be responsible for purchasing decisions
• Familiar with leading global and regional powertrain brands

Sampling Framework

1.  EMEA Quotas by Country:

• 30 each for major markets (Italy, Spain, UK, Germany, France)
• 20 for Poland
• 10 each for Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria

2.  Balance Quotas:

• 50% of respondents listing Dayco among top 3 suppliers
• 50% not listing Dayco among top 3

Key Measures and Framework

1. Supplier Brand Awareness:

• Unaided recall and aided recognition of brands such as Dayco, Gates, SKF, ContiTech, Optibelt, etc.

2. Customer Needs & Purchasing Criteria:

• Rated relevance (1-10) of criteria like price, product quality, brand, delivery performance, and customer experience
• Prioritization within domains (e.g., delivery flexibility, product range depth, technical support)
• Trade-off between SKU-level and category-level purchasing behavior

3. Supplier Share of Wallet & Loyalty:

• Identification of top 3 suppliers by value and estimated share of wallet (%)
• Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for each top supplier
• Loyalty segmentation (loyal, conditional, open to switching)
• Barriers to switching (e.g., buying group constraints, cost of change)

4. Customer Experience & Performance Scoring:

• Satisfaction ratings (1–10) across six supplier performance areas: price, product range, innovation, customer experience, delivery, and brand
• Open feedback on improvement areas 

5. Channel Preferences & Brand Strategy:

• Preferences for multi-brand suppliers across price tiers (premium, value, private label)
• Importance of in-house manufacturing (vs. third-party sourcing)
• Information sources used to discover and assess suppliers (catalogs, events, sales visits) 

6. Market Outlook:

• Perceptions on demand growth for bundled powertrain kits in local markets

Impact

The study provided:

• Granular competitive benchmarking of Dayco and key rivals across global and regional markets
• Validated criteria weighting to guide brand positioning and channel marketing efforts
• Customer satisfaction diagnostics highlighting where Dayco leads, lags, or is at parity
• Market-specific growth insights including increasing demand for kits and bundled product offerings
• Switching risk signals through loyalty analysis and supplier constraint mapping 

The insights enabled the client to:

• Refine regional go-to-market strategies
• Improve pricing architecture and service flexibility
• Reposition its value proposition to better align with distributor and retailer priorities
• Support sales teams with data-driven messaging tailored to loyalty segments and performance drivers