The rapidly increasing ownership and production of automobiles in emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil is gradually transforming all stages of the supply chain. For automotive manufacturers, these changing economies not only represent differences in terms of consumer behavior and workforce culture, but present significant environmental challenges.
As the global shift towards emerging markets continues, a key quality control consideration is that material properties change under varying environmental conditions. And while this has always been the case, the expanding middle classes in these countries have increased expectations for the automotive products they buy. Whereas environmental wear-and-tear may have once been viewed as inevitable in certain climates, this more aspirational generation’s standards are moving in line with those of consumers in developed economies.