The structure of the today's automobile industry is represented in this figure. Apart from the car manufacturers, also called OEM (Original Equipment Manufacture), the Automotive sector is composed of the System and Module supplier (1st-tier Supplier) as well as the Component supplier (2nd-tier Supplier) and the Element supplier (3rd-tier Supplier).
The System and Module supplier, who for example produces brake systems or front-end modules, are in direct contact with the vehicle manufacturer. The Component supplier (e.g. fuel pump manufacturers) and Element suppliers (screw producer) co-operate closely with the System and Module suppliers and are not always in direct contact with the car manufacturers.