Global Sourcing Spotlight

April 03, 2024

Global Sourcing Spotlight: Don’t Be Afraid of Global Sourcing

On paper, it doesn’t seem like a great time for global sourcing. With several world conflicts, it may seem impossible to think that something like global sourcing and commercial trade between countries could begin to alleviate this tension between warring countries. But hey, I’ve always been a glass-half-full guy, so humor me. While trade between countries can indeed foster cooperation and contribute to peace in several ways, it's essential to recognize that it's not a panacea for all global issues. However, here are some ways in which trade can contribute to peace and global stability.

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February 28, 2024

Global Sourcing Spotlight: Global Sourcing is Good for Everyone

In business, as in life, it’s important to have an open mind. Take the people you work with at face value rather than what you are told by politicians and the media. It has always been amazing to me how easy it is to have resentment toward a people, as a country (or nationality) until you get up close and personal. Then it is not so easy. Dealing with people face to face, as human beings and fellow citizens of the world, where you get to see them as they are, is so much better and more productive. All business is people dealing with people. If we can keep it at that level, the world will become a much better place.

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January 10, 2024

Global Sourcing Spotlight: The Myth of ‘Buying American’

I know that "buying American" has been deeply ingrained in the American psyche for generations. It represents a sense of patriotism and loyalty to one's country, and it's often associated with the belief that purchasing products labeled as "Made in the USA" supports domestic industries and workers. However, this notion can be misleading and oversimplified. In reality, the global economy is far more interconnected than it appears, and many products labeled as American are, in fact, a blend of international components. This column explores 12 instances where you may think you're buying American but you’re not.

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December 27, 2023

Global Sourcing Spotlight: What To Do When Things Go Wrong

Global sourcing can offer many advantages, such as cost savings and access to a wider range of products. It seems that the advantages are limitless. However, several potential challenges and risks are associated with buying from other countries, especially in Asia. So, you must not only be aware of them, but have a plan if something does go wrong.

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November 15, 2023

Global Sourcing Spotlight: Get Out of China? It’s Quite Complex

There is a lot of uncertainty in the global marketplace, and because of that, I’m often asked to find alternative sources, particularly when companies want to get out of China. Now, I sympathize with that, but when you look at the entire situation, you’ll see it’s not always as simple as it might first appear.

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September 26, 2023

Global Sourcing Spotlight: Meeting the Challenges of Global Sourcing

Sourcing goods and services from around the world can offer many benefits, such as cost savings and access to a wider and better range of products and services, but it also presents many challenges, especially for amateurs. Global sourcing is a game for experienced experts. The path to global sourcing is riddled with stories of failures and catastrophes, from losing a wire payment for your supplier overseas to theft of proprietary intellectual property. In short, you have to know what you’re doing before you take the leap to global sourcing.

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August 16, 2023

Global Sourcing Spotlight: Why We Need Global Sourcing

There are still too many people who are wary of global sourcing. It’s as though they feel using global sourcing means they are cheating in some way, that they’re being disloyal to domestic suppliers. Honestly, I can see why some people feel that way, but it just doesn’t make any sense.

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July 25, 2023

Global Sourcing Spotlight: My Six-step Process to Finding the Right Global Partners

I often get frustrated when companies underestimate what it takes to find a global partner. They tell me that all it takes to find the right partner is to gather some quotes, and then accept the one with the best price. When I hear comments like that, I think about what it really takes—and it's much more than just getting a cheap quote. Bob Duke shares his strategy for getting the best global supply partners.

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June 19, 2023

Global Sourcing Spotlight: It's Not Always About Price

When it comes to business, it’s easy and natural to focus only on price, but I’m constantly reminding my customers that there is so much more to products than just the price. In fact, there are several factors that come into play when we search the world looking for the best global solutions.

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May 15, 2023

Global Sourcing Spotlight: Six Keys to Successful Global Sourcing

As famed writer and columnist Thomas Friedman said in his book, The World is Flat, global economies are coming together to provide an equal distribution of goods throughout the world. Anyone can participate on the world stage. I have been doing this for several years and through my networking and my experience I have learned many useful things that I would like to share. So, let’s get started with the six key things to know about global sourcing.

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