24 April 2026
Why the next decade of automotive planning will look nothing like the last
Article Summary
Learn how the future of automotive planning is becoming more integrated and AI‑augmented. Discover how we’re accelerating speed to insight, rooted in trusted analyst-led data.
This article draws on insights from a recent conversation with Anthony Machin, Director of Product Management, Automotive Planning Solutions, at S&P Global Mobility. Here we reflect on how planning needs are evolving across the automotive industry and how our upcoming Automotive Intelligence Platform will look to meet these.
Inside our upcoming intelligence platform: Watch the conversation with Anthony Machin
Anthony Machin explains what to expect from the upcoming automotive intelligence platform.
For decades, automotive planning has been built around a familiar rhythm: expert analysts, trusted datasets, spreadsheets and tools that planners have learned to master over time. That foundation still matters but the context in which decisions are made has fundamentally changed.
Organizations across the automotive ecosystem are being asked to respond to disruption faster than ever before. As Anthony Machin, Director of Product Management, Automotive Planning Solutions, at S&P Global Mobility, puts it:
“Decision timelines are being shrunk like no other time in history. More competition, more complexity, and more pressure to move quickly.”
Against this backdrop, the next decade of planning won’t just be about what you know. It will be about how quickly you can turn trusted data into confident decisions.
That shift is exactly what S&P Global Mobility's new upcoming Automotive Intelligence Platform is being built to support: a unified, AI‑native environment that connects automotive data, forecasts, and analyst insight so planning teams can make decisions faster, with less friction and greater transparency.
The challenge isn’t data. It’s time to insight.
Most planning teams don’t suffer from a lack of information. In fact, the opposite is often true. Forecasts, production data, sales outlooks, technology insights, component analysis, news, reports — they all exist. But too often, they live in different systems, formats, and workflows.
“Traditionally, users had to move between tools to answer a single question,” Anthony explains. “They would download data here, read insight there, and then stitch it all together themselves.”
Integration becomes non‑negotiable
Rather than asking users to navigate multiple systems, the Automotive Intelligence Platform brings core datasets together in one place. Production and sales forecasts, technology and component forecasts sit in harmony with analyst insights, news, briefings, reports and company profiles.
“We’re pulling together lots of different datasets across planning solutions,” Anthony says, “so users can find everything they need as quickly as possible, in a single place.”
This isn’t about replacing familiar workflows. It’s about removing friction, so planners can spend less time hunting for information and more time using it.
The application of AI in practice and workflow enhancing features
Anthony Machine dives into what to expect from the functionality, including exciting features and how it will change the way you access your S&P Global Mobility data.
What does the AI-native aspect of the platform actually mean? Anthony is clear. “AI will not replace our analysts. They are the backbone of our work. AI helps surface insights, but all answers are based on analyst input.”
The AI Concierge built into the platform doesn’t roam the web or pull in unknown sources. It’s grounded exclusively with S&P Global Mobility data and insights curated by our global analysis teams, and aids insight based upon subscription coverage.
“It doesn't gather information from the web, it doesn't have general knowledge, it is just the data that we give it. So when we start to answer questions like why a forecast has changed, it will only be based on the input that we give it from our analysts and this is why our analysts moving forward over the next 10, 15, 20 years will remain important for our forecasts because they are the backbone of what we do”
From questions to answers, faster
One of the clearest signs of how business planning will change lies in the way users interact with information.
Instead of exporting multiple files and manually reconciling changes, future workflows are becoming more direct, more visual, and more explanatory.
A good example is the platform’s Notebook functionality.
“You can pull in the exact datasets you care about, filter them to a specific market or group of manufacturers, add relevant insight and reports and then query just that notebook,” Anthony explains.
Forecast changes can be compared side‑by‑side, highlighted visually, and even interpreted with AI‑generated commentary, all grounded in approved data and analyst context.
This ability to quickly answer not just what changed, but why it changed, will become essential in the years ahead.
Change, without disruption
While the tools are evolving, the goal remains continuity for clients.
Existing workflows — queries, downloads, APIs, visualizations — aren’t disappearing. They’re being streamlined, enhanced, and carried forward into a more modern platform.
“What users know today will still be there,” Anthony reassures. “But they’ll have more opportunity to find insights and answer questions than ever before.”
Change is inevitable. Confusion isn’t. Thoughtful platform design, clear communication, and strong governance are what will allow forecasting teams to move forward with confidence.
Looking ahead
The next decade of planning will look nothing like the last not because the fundamentals have changed, but because the expectations have.
Faster answers. Greater transparency. Better context. And systems designed to support the way decisions are truly made today.
As Anthony puts it: “We’re not just delivering data faster. We’re helping clients deliver better insight to their organizations, their investors, and their stakeholders.”
That is what the future of forecasting demands and what the Automotive Intelligence Platform is being built to support.
Sign up for updates on the Automotive Intelligence Platform
You’ll soon be able to access S&P Global Mobility data, news, and reports through a unified, AI-native platform. Sign up for updates, early access, and key milestones throughout 2026.
This article was published by S&P Global Mobility and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.
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