How Aptiv cut workplace incidents in half across 200,000 employees

The context

Aptiv

A global automotive technology supplier, getting safety right is baked into its DNA. The company’s solutions support systems across the aerospace and defense, automotive, and medical industries, among others, where tech failure could have huge consequences. But operating across 48 countries and 150 facilities, with more than 200,000 people on shop floors worldwide, there are many opportunities for something to go wrong.

With such high stakes, Aptiv understands that protecting its people requires more than good intentions—it requires trustworthy, transparent systems.

The challenge

Multiple outdated systems, ineffective outcomes

Ana Ferreira, Environment, Health and Safety, and Sustainability Director for Systems and Governance, leads the team responsible for managing legal, corporate, and customer demands related to environmental and safety. It’s a big role with a lot of responsibility, and it wasn’t always as streamlined as it is now.

Even more challenging, the systems collecting the data were owned and developed internally—a big lift for such a large corporate footprint, and unsustainable in the long term.

The problem

Data, data everywhere — but not ready to use

With rising risks to reputation, compliance, and investor confidence, accurate data has never been more important for organizations.

But while some organizations are still stuck on how to collect accurate data, Aptiv had a different problem. The team had the data, but it didn’t communicate across systems, limiting the insights they could pull for strategic initiatives. Without the data ready and easily accessible, Ana’s team spent a lot of time on audits for data accuracy, checking and rechecking layers of data to make the information globally useful.

The current state of EHS+ technology wasn’t sustainable for Aptiv. Something had to change. So, when Ana joined the business unit for corporate strategy in EHS, she was immediately tapped to help address internal system fragmentation.

According to Ana, it took at least 2 months of validating data to issue a single sustainability report.

The approach

Setting the foundation for a safer work environment

Making a plan to address fragmentation wasn’t just another action item on her to-do list. It was such an important initiative that it was the first item her team addressed with the C-suite.

Aptiv didn’t want to simply replace individual tools. The organization wanted to enable a strategic operating model. After conducting an 18-month evaluation process to identify a platform capable of supporting a global transformation, Aptiv decided to partner with Cority.

The transformation

Investment in a safety culture requires intention and engagement

A lot of global companies are trying to centralize EHS+, build consistent data, and achieve enterprise transparency, but most of them struggle. Ana explains that safety transformation can’t happen overnight. “It’s a journey,” she says.

But the biggest wins are exemplified by Ana’s recent trip to ten different Aptiv sites, where she got to speak directly with employees and see firsthand how the organization is building a safety culture.