The 10 Best Sourcing Companies and Agents to Watch May2022

Managing Editor

Bhushan Bhad

Trailblazing Sourcing Industry

heriseofMultinationalCorporationshasturnedthe

Ttideofbusinessworkflows.Withthisdevelopment, thefacilitationofproductsandserviceshave changed.Whileintheprocessofmanufacturingaproduct orthesupplyoftechnologicalservices,theresourcesofthe entireglobalbusinesscommunitycomeintoplay.Beitthe rawproducts,naturalresources,orconventionalindustrial practices,anintegratedeffortoftheglobalizedworldhelps insculptingrawmaterialsintomarket-ready products/services.

Whileemphasizingthesignificanceofnaturalresources, corporationshavelearnedthatthemostsuperiorresource thathasprovedtobebeneficialforcorporatesworldwideis humancapital!

Beingoneofthemostsignificantcontributorstoan organization’ssuccess,professionalshaveprovedtobethe transformativewheelintransgressinganorganizationtoits desiredsuccess.

Understandingtheintricaciesthatareinvolvedinresource managementofhumanpotential,entrepreneursusheredina B2Bindustrythatissolvingthechallengeofrecruitment management.Thesecompaniesutilizethetechnological benefitsofAI-mediateddataminingandscouttheglobein searchofprofessionalswithadequateskillsandnecessary aptitudewhilestreamliningthesupplychainpoolofHuman Resourceneeds.

The ability of sourcing global talent with technology mediated business model is driving organization’s to unimaginable heights. This will not only sprout a revolutionizing era around the business cycle but will prepare the corporate world for future challenges!

Therearemultiplebenefitsofbusinesswiththesourcing services.Firstandforemost,thehustleofrecruitmentand hiringbytheorganizationisdecreased,andtheITsupport requiredbycompanieswhilemanaginghumanresourcesis alsofacilitated.Secondly,thefacilitationofanappropriate candidatepoolhelpstheorganizationwithutilizingitstime onfutureinnovationsratherthanguidingaqueueof freelancerswaitingtogethired.Moreover,withtheriseof sourcingagents,internationaltalentispipelinedforthe workfromanywheremodule,andthecompaniesenjoythe perksofpossessingamulti-diverse,multicultural,and skillfultalentpool.

Embracingthesemeritsofsourcingcompaniesandagents isournewedition,“The10BestSourcingCompaniesand AgentstoWatch.”

Whileyouflipthroughthepages,makesuretoreadthe insightfularticlescraftedbyourin-houseeditorialteam.

Ihopeyouhaveahappyread!

- Bhushan Bhad

DocShipper Group

Modern Sourcing Soluons Provider

DTL Sourcing

Redefining the Sourcing

Industry with Best-in-class Services

ET2C Internaonal

A Source of Strength to Keep Firm in Global Sourcing Market

Fidèle Sourcing

Creang the Means of Sustainable Growth in Fashion Industry

TonySourcing

A Trusted Name in Toys Sourcing, Sending Smiles Beyond Miles

Zakesports

Sourcing Pro in Sports Industry with Over 700 Brand Partnership

Featuring CompanyBrief

BlacksmithInternational blacksmithint.com

CMSourcing cmsourcing.global

DocShipper docshipper.com

BrianSather CEO

BlacksmithInternationalhasearnedatrustedreputationtodesign, develop,manufactureanddeliverqualityconsumerproductstomany satisfiedcustomers.

MikeMcLean OperationsDirector andFounder

NicolasRahme(CEO)

PierreRahmé(Headof Sourcing)

CharleyHochet(CFO& Partner)

DTLSourcing dtl-sourcing.com

EasyImex easyimex.com

ET2CInternational et2c.com

FlavienSerra FounderandDirector JinZong ExecutiveDirector

CMSourcingisanallianceofexperiencedcontractorsthathas grownthroughpersonalknowledgeofeachother'sskillsor throughrespectedintroduction.

DocShipperaimstobethedigitallinkbetweenbuyersandall playersinneed:logisticsoperators,suppliers,qualitycontrol, distributioncenter,customsagent.

DTLSourcinghelpsovercomethechallengesofworkingacross differentbusinesscultures,languagesandtimezones.The companymakesourcingtransactionseasierbyhandling everythingforyounomatterwhatyouarelookingfor,whether consumergoods,electronicsandtechnology,orindustrialgoods.

EasyImexhelpsinsourcingproduct,verifyingsuppliers,quality controlinspections,writingbi-lingualsalescontracts,negotiating pricing,factoryinspectionsontheground,facetofacefactory problemsolving,orderconsolidationandfactoryvisits.

SimonArcher-Perkins ChiefOperatingOfficer

ET2Cisacomprehensiveglobalsourcingcompanythatis committedtoprovidingbusinesseswithaccesstolow-cost countrymanufacturingterritories.

Sourcing fidelesourcing.com

GiolongGroupe giolong.com

TonySourcing TonySourcing.com

SamiKhandaker Owner

FidèleSourcingdesignsandcollaborateswithbrandstokeep fashionindustrysustainable.

ZakeSports zakesports.com

PatrickParadis President-Montreal

TonyChen Founder

Giolongspecializesinsourcing,factoryaudits,qualitycontrolof internationalsupplies,assembly,co-packing,OEMandODM productdevelopment,particularlyinChinaandalloverthe world.

TonySourcingsuppliesallkindsofToys&Giftitemsforglobal buyers.TheylocatedinYiwu&ShantouChina,behindthem thereisover5000+toysmanufacturerand10toptoys wholesale&distributorssupplymarket.

ZarekZhong Founder

ZakeSportsisonamissiontoempoweritsglobalclientstouse theresourcetoitsfullpotentialbyprovidingpowerfulfabrics andreliableservices.

We feel with our quick response to the ever changing environment, we have kept ahead of the worst of the pandemic and, in fact, have seen a 40% revenue increase postCOVID-19.

AAsbusinessescontinuetoleveragethepowerof globalizationtoimproveperformance,theroleof sourcinggoodsandservicesfromsuppliershas becomeunavoidable.Furthermore,procurementisevolving intoamorestrategicfunctionthatismorealignedwith organizationalgoalsandobjectives.Additionally,factors suchaseconomicandpoliticalvolatility,technological disruption,andsoonhavemadethemarketextremely competitive.Asaresult,itiscriticalfororganizationsto locatecooperative-typesourcingagenciesinorderto maximizebusinessperformanceandefficiencyandgaina competitiveadvantageovertheirpeers.

CMSourcingisonesuchagencyintheGeophysicaland Hydrographicsurveyindustrythatisequippedwiththe mostdiversepoolofpersonnelwithexpertlocalknowledge toappropriatelysuityourorganization'sneeds.Theagency hasaglobalcoveragemakingitconvenientforboth businessesandcontractors.

Inanexclusiveinterviewwith Insights Success,Mike McLean,theOperationsDirectoratCMSourcing,talksin detailaboutthecomprehensiveofferingsandservicesofhis companyandsharessomevaluableinsightsfromitsniche industry.

KindlytellouraudienceaboutCMSourcing,its inception,anditsjourneytillnow.

In2012,mybusinesspartnerDaveCullenandIwere workingascontractpersonnelandfoundourselvesonthe sameprojectoffshoreGreenland.Atthetime,thecommon issuewithcontractinginthesurveyindustrywasthelackof qualityoptionsforagencyrepresentation.

Onedayoverafewdrinks,westartedtodiscussthe possibilityofbuildinganagencyfromscratchwiththe contractor'swelfareatitscoreusingourpersonal knowledgeofcontracting.Wedecidedtotryandbuildan agencytosupportcontractorsratherthanshareholders. Overtheensuingtenyears,we'vebuiltacompanyaround ourownsetofmoralsworkingasethicallyaspossible, alwayshavingtheneedsofourcontractorsandtheproject executionasourpriority

Forthefirstfiveyears,DaveandIcontinuedtowork offshorealongsidegrowingourcoreteamatCMSourcing. Wealwaysfeltlikeseeingandworkingwithourcontractors wasthekeytounderstandingwheretheywouldbebest suitedwithinaclient'sproject.

From2017,ourbusinessgrowthhadoutpacedourabilityto effectivelyrunthecompanyremotely,sowegaveup offshoreworkandhiredasmallteam,whoarestillwithus today Wefeltthatcustomerservicewasmoreimportant thangrowth,sowehavegrownorganicallyintheyears since,alwaysachievingsignificantgrowthwhilst maintainingahighlevelofcustomerservice.

Pleasetellusabouttheservicesandofferingsthatyou facilitateforyourclients.Whataretheservicesthat makeCMSourcingstandapartinthesurveypersonnel market?

Ourmainserviceisthesupplyofcontractpersonnelforthe offshorerenewableenergymarket,focusingon hydrographicandUXOsurveys.Wherewedifferfromour competitionisthatwedon'thirerecruitersinthetraditional sense.Ourseniorstaffmembersareallfromwithinthe industry,offeringauniqueabilitytoplacethecorrect candidateintotheidealrolefortheclienttoensureproject success.

Expandingonourservices,werecentlyopenedoursister companyCMGeomaticswhichworkswithourclientsand endclientstoprocessandinterpretgeophysicaldatausing ourownstaffandCMSourcing'spoolofpersonnel.

Kindlytellusaboutthemission,vision,andcorevalues ofCMSourcing.

Ourmissionistobetheagencyofchoiceforclientsand contractorsthroughefficiency,quality,integrity, transparency,andeducation.Wenurtureourrelationships bysharingourknowledgewithcontractorsandsurvey companiesalike,gainedthroughdecadesofcumulative industryexperience.

WhatareyourUSPs?Pleasealsotellusthestoryofhow youdecidedtotransitiontoa100%renewableenergy company.

Ouruniquesellingpointisthatthemajorityofoursenior staffarefromwithintheindustry.Somethingwesaytoour clientsis'askyourselfwhomyouwouldratherturntofor support.Arecruitmentspecialistwhorecognizessurvey buzzwordsorasurveyspecialistwhocanaccurately understandcomplicatedrequestsandeasilydecidewhois bestsuitedtofulfilltherequirement.

WiththeriseofrenewableenergyinEurope,DaveandI foundourselvesmoreandmoreonrenewableenergy

THE 10 BEST SOURCING COMPANIES AND AGENTS TO WATCH

,Over the course of 2019, our US client base grew steadily, and we felt it was important to have a local base to fully understand not just regional differences but also cultural.

projects,somostofourexperiencetowardstheend ofouroffshorecareerwasinoffshorewindfarms. Wealsofeltwehaveastrongmoralobligationto transitionawayfromfossilfuels.

Wefeelthatifmorecompaniesstarteddoingthis,it wouldcertainlymaketheworldabetterplace.In additiontothat,agoodnumberofoil-richnations havepoortrackrecordsforhumanrights,andwe haveneverfeltcomfortableprofitingfromor helpingothersprofitfromthosenations.

Mike,pleasetellouraudienceabouthowyou andyourcompanyhavehelpedenhancethe surveycontractpersonnelindustry.

Fromdayone,wehavealwaysbeenveryopenand honestwitheveryoneinvolvedinthebusiness, fromclientstocontractors.Unfortunately,basedon thegeneraldistrustofagencies,whichhistorically iswelldeserved,thismessagetookalongtimeto takeroot.Butnow,Ithinkit'sfairtosaythatwe

From 2017, our business growth had outpaced our ability to effectively run the company remotely, so we gave up offshore work and hired a small team, who are still with us today.

“I have been working with CMSourcing for quite some time now and found them to be the best to work with. When the work is there, they get me good day rates and with few hassles.”

– Chris Wood

aregloballyrecognizedasbeingthemosttrustworthy agencyinthesector.

We'reverypleasedtoreportthatourethicsandreputation forhonestyarestartingtochangetherelationshipbetween contractorsandagencies,andtheviewisfarlesslikean agencyis'theboss'andmorelikeasupplierwhomthe contractorchoosestopayforprofessionalrepresentation,as itshouldbe.

TellusaboutyourexpansioninBostonandother feats/plansofexpansionthatyoumayhave.

Overthecourseof2019,ourUSclientbasegrewsteadily, andwefeltitwasimportanttohavealocalbasetofully understandnotjustregionaldifferencesbutalsocultural. Theindustryisfast-moving,andwitha5-hourtime difference,itisverydifficulttoprovidethelevelof customerservicethatclientsandcontractorsdeserve.

TheobviouschoicewouldhavebeenHouston,wherealot ofsurveycompaniesarebased,butwereallywantedto focusonrenewableenergy,whichisbasedintheNorth East.AftervisitingseveralcitiesintheNorthEast,we reallyfeltathomeinBoston.SincedecidingthatBoston wasourUSbase,wefoundourregionalmanagertherewho iscurrentlytryingtobuildtheteam,whichisobviouslya challengeintoday'smarket.

Withregardstoexpansion,asthewindindustrymovesover tothewestcoast,itwouldbeanaturalnextstepbasedon thetimezonesandregionaldifferencestohaveanofficeon thewestcoast.OurfutureintheUSAisaveryexcitingone forus,andwefeellikethatisthefutureofthecompany.

ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemicanditsimpacton globaleconomies,whatwerethechallengesfacedby yourcompany'sdoors,andhowdidyoupivotfrom thosechallenges?

COVID-19,withoutadoubt,raisedanentirelyfreshsetof challengestotherecruitmentindustryasawholeaswellas thewholeoftheglobalsurveyindustrywherepeopleare travelingallovertheworldtojoinvesselsbasedontheir particularskillset.

Witheverycountryhavingitsownentryrequirements, keepingontopofthecurrentlegislationhasbecomeafulltimejob.Ourresolutionwastocreaterobustproceduresfor eachstepfromtestingtotraveltobordercontrol.Wefeel withourquickresponsetotheever-changingenvironment,

“I worked nine years full time for an offshore company where I built my career After I started as a freelancer, I met many companies that lled my email asking for my certicates and documents for job offers that did not happen, and I did not know the reasons for it either until I met CMSourcing. With them, the job offers gained value for me; when I receive one that comes from CMSourcing, I know that I am not just another email address in the receipt. Transparency in contracts through CMSourcing has made me understand better how the offshore market works, and for that, I thank you.”

– Robert Ayan

Our future in the USA is a very exciting one for us, and we feel like that is the future of the company.

wehavekeptaheadoftheworstofthepandemicand,in fact,haveseena40%revenueincreasepost-COVID-19.

Whatwouldyouliketoadvisethebudding entrepreneursandenthusiastswhoaspiretoventure intothesurveypersonnelspace?

Therearetwotoptipsforanyonewantingtoventureinto surveypersonnel.Firstly,knowtheindustryinsideandout; nobodywilleverbehappyworkingforsomeonethat doesn'tfullyunderstandtherole.Wearedealingwith highlyqualifiedprofessionals,andtheyseerightthrough someonelookingtomakeaquickprofitfromtheirhard work.

Secondly,don'toverthinkeverything.Startingabusinessis alearningcurve,anditdefinitelygetsharderbeforeitgets easier Thekeyisnottotryandgoitalone;youneeda partnertobounceideasoff,togainsecondopinionson businessdecisions,andforsupportwhenyouarenot physicallyabletodoit.

HowdoyouenvisionscalingCMSourcing'soperations andbusinessin2022andbeyond?

Givenourunwillingnesstojustbecomelikeour competition,hiringrecruitersstraightoutofrecruitment school,scalingissometimesachallenge.Ourreputation grewfasterthananticipated,andhistoricallywehavebeen behindthecurveonstaffinglevels,butwearenowina goodpositionthatwehavebuiltaverystrongteambothin theUKandtheUS.Withthisteam,weareontargetfora record2022andbeyond.

“I have been freelancing with CM Sourcing for over a year now, and I have found them to be a very professional and competent company; they have got me regular and good quality work. Their staff is friendly, courteous, and hardworking. I would denitely recommend CM Sourcing to anybody looking to get freelance work in the offshore energy sector.”

Over the course of 2019, our US client base grew steadily, and we felt it was important to have a local base to fully understand not just regional differences but also cultural.

– Chris Murdoch

Nicolas Rahmé Co-founder & CEO DocShipper Group

The

Sourcing Companies and Agents to Watch

Gonearethedayswhenapersonororganization hadtoself-arrangeandinvestheavilyinthe workforceandothervaluableresourcestofind suitablesuppliers.Also,performingqualityanalysisof providedmaterialandtakingcareoflogisticsliketransport, packaging,customsclearance,andothertaskssloweddown thebusinessprocess.Ifanyorganizationstillfollowssuch oldways,thenitiswastingitsmostimportantresource, time.

Time,inanycondition,cannotberecoveredonceithas passed.Today,withinafewclicksonyourelectronic devices,youcanarrangeallthesuppliesandlogistics services.Byhiringmodernsourcingservices,youcanget suppliesdeliveredtoyourpreferredlocationfromany corneroftheworldingoodcondition.TheDocShipper Groupwasfoundedontheprincipleofsavingtheresources oforganizationsbytakingcareofsourcing,logistics,and distributionsolutionsallovertheworld.

Thegroup'sprimaryfocusistosavetheclients’timeand givethemanupperhandagainsttheircompetitor.Itplans theprocessoftheworkinordertoprovideapersonalized experiencefortheclients.Thegroupwasfoundedin2018 inHongKong.Theyusedtheirextensiveeffortsinthe logisticsindustrytoidentifythedrawbacksintheindustry andcameupwithasolutionbyformingDocShipperGroup.

We,atInsightsSuccess,interviewedtheCo-founders–NicolasRahmé(CEO)andPierreRahmé(Headof Sourcing),alongwiththeirCFO&Partner,Charley Hochet,tounderstandhowtheirmodernsourcingsolution isprovidingabetterexperiencetofulfillclients' expectations.

Belowaretheexcerptsfromtheinterview:

Pleasebriefouraudienceaboutyourcompany,itsUSPs, andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasareliablefirmin thesourcingmarket.

Wefocusonourclients'satisfactionbyhelpingthemfind thebestsuppliertohavetheneededproducts.We collaboratewithournetworkofreliablesuppliersbasedin Asia,EasternEurope,andTurkey

Thesourcingprocesswillfollowtheclient'srequirements: budget,productspecifications,delay,compliance, standards,etc.Ourclientwillbeattheheartoftheproject andhaveaccesstoalltheinformation,sotherewillbeno hiddenfee.

Weaimalwaystobuildalong-termpartnershipwithour customersaswellasoursuppliers'network.Trustisvery importantinthisindustry,thatiswhyweplaceitinthe heartofourprocess.

Shedsomelightonyourofferingsandhowtheyimpact theindustryandyourclients.

TherevolutionthatDocShipperintroducedinthesupply chainindustryisremarkablesinceDocShipper'sbusiness modelisdifferentfromallitscompetitors.Themainfocus inourmodelistheclient'ssatisfaction.Inordertoensure this,weestablishednewstandardsbasedontechnologyand 100%customerservicedevotion.

Wearrangeyourpurchases,qualitycontrol,compliance, internationalfreight,customsclearance,distribution,etc.In us,youwillfindtheperfectpartnertoassistyoufromAto Z!

Shareyouropiniononhowmoderntechnologieshave transformedthesourcingindustryandwhatmorecould beexpectedinthenearfuture?

Moderntechnologyhascompletelytransformedthe sourcingindustry Tradeshowswereorganizedtopresent productsuntilrecently,butthisisnolongernecessary today Tradeshowscanbedoneonlinesothatthesourcing willbesimpler

Itwillbeeasiertofindthebestsupplierthroughthese digitaltradeshows.Thesefairsalsoallowforaneveneasier connectionand,therefore,easiersourcing.Inthefuture,we mayseemoreandmorevirtualtradefairsandconsequently greatereasetofindaproductatthebestprice.

Our aim is to keep our customers happy, but more than that, our aim is to make DocShipper part of their logistics journey.

ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemicanditsimpacton globaleconomies,whatwerethechallengesfacedby yourcompany.Howdidyoupivotfromthose challenges?

EvenbeforetheCOVID-19crisis,ourprimaryfocushas alwaysbeentheassistanceofourcustomers.Aclientwill alwayschooseacompanythatwillalwayslistentohis needsandalsoonethatwillbeavailabletoassistandguide himandsharewithhimtheprogressofhisproject.

Wehavealwayshadthecustomeratthecenterofour businessmodel.Wehavedecidednottobecaptivatedby exclusivecontractsthatcanclosedoorstous,andtherefore, wewillnotbeabletocovertheneedsofourcustomers.

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs aspiringtoventureintothesourcingmarket?

First,Iwillexplaintothemwhysourcingisimportant,the coststructure,profitmargins,andcompetitiveness.Then,I willguidethemontheselectionofasupplier.Itwillbe necessarytoinvestalotoftimeandeffortinsearchingfora suppliertoknowhim.

Hereiswhatyouneedtoknowaboutasupplier:

Itsyearofexperience

Itsflexibilityinmodifyingorderdeadlines

Thewidthofitsrangeofproducts/servicesavailable

Negotiableprice

Customerreviews

Deliverytime

Itsafter-salesservice

Itsfinancialstability

Asuppliercouldbecomeabusinesspartneroneday.Itis imperativetoknowhimandtohaveconfidenceinhim. Therefore,itisalsonecessarytolookathisreputation. Onceyouhavefoundthesupplier,youmustagreeona price,apaymentmethod,andashippingmethod.

Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany’soperations andofferingsin2022andbeyond?

DocShipper’sbusinessmodelisbasedonconstantgrowth andflexibility.Inordertoensurethisgrowth,wewill mainlyfocusongainingmarketsharesthroughdigital canals.Weworkondigitizingthisindustryfollowingthe customers’needsaswellasthesuppliers/freight forwarders.

The Prime Movers

Two brothers in the sourcing and logiscs sector idenfied an issue in the industry: it relied on ancient techniques to ship and buy items throughout the world. It was a "who you knew" business that was trying to keep up with the need for quick and efficient internaonal trading in a globalized environment.

Enter DocShipper, a startup that aims to reinvent internaonal logiscs and procurement for SMEs, enterprises, and people. Nicolas and Pierre Rahmé, the company's founders, being present in the field of logiscs for years, wanted to shake up a sector that is trapped in the pre-digital age.

They both experienced many challenges during their work in the field of logiscs. They decided to give birth to a new vision of this domain. Therefore, they have integrated new technology to make internaonal business connecons easier. DocShipper, based in Hong Kong, currently has operaons in 40 countries, providing experse in Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, and Europe.

Clients Endorsements

DocShipper has always put the customer at the center of its services. Our aim is to keep our customers happy, but more than that, our aim is to make DocShipper part of their logiscs journey.

Below, you will find a sample of the reviews and tesmonials that our clients sent us for different services we provided them.

"Very good and efficient service. Pick-up in the USA was very smooth, items packed very carefully; delivery and clearing Thai Custom was very smooth also. Didn't have to make a trip to Laem Chabang as I was expected to. Everything was delivered to my house without anything being damaged. Definitely would recommend it to anyone making an internaonal move!"

"DocShipper did a fantasc job of clearing our shipment through the difficult Thai customs. We are relieved and grateful that they had the experse to help us. We would use them again without hesitaon."

“I would like to thank DocShipper company for offering an outstanding service. I had to send goods from Morocco to Romania, and working with them made my life easier as everything was sorted: loading, shipping, customs, and unloading. It's a company I recommend in case you need this type of service."

Flavien Serra Founder and Director DTL Sourcing

Redefining the Sourcing Industry with Best-in-class Services

Chinahasemergedasamanufacturinghubofthe world.Sinceacoupleofdecades,thecountryis continuouslymaintainingitspositionasa‘global factory’.Themassproductionhasallowedthecountryto producegoodsinminimumcost.Asaresult,theglobal companiesprefersourcingtheirproductsfromChina.

However,therearemanychallengesinsourcingproducts fromChina.Itrequiresproperknowledgeaboutmarketas wellaslocalrulesandregulationsforsourcing.Hence, thesecompaniesrequireabridgetofulfiltheirneeds.

DTLSourcing,awell-knownimport-exportcompany easedthisproblemwithitsqualitysourcingservices.DTL Sourcingprovidesglobalcompaniesatrustworthyplatform forsourcingofdiverseproductsrangingfromconsumer goodstoelectronicequipment.

SettingBenchmarksofExcellence

DTLSourcingisaleadingsourcingcompanybasedin HongKong.Leveragingadeepnetworkof500+trusted manufacturersinChina,itprovidescompaniesacrossthe worldwithatrustworthychannelfortheirsourcingneeds.

DTLSourcinghaspartneredwith100+companiesacross severalcountriesinEurope,America,andtheAsiaPacific regiontohelpthemaccessthevastproductsbeingproduced inChina.Thecompanyhasservedover800+sourcing orders.

Thecompanyhelpsitsclientstoovercomethechallenges ofworkingacrossdifferentbusinesscultures,languages,

andtimezones.Itmakessourcingtransactionseasierby handlingeverythingforclients,mayitbeconsumergoods, electronicsandtechnology,orindustrialgoods.

DTLdeliversqualitygoodsfromChina’sfactoriesto customer’sdoorstepssafely,efficiently,andathighly competitiveprices.Manycompaniesalignwithsourcing servicesofDTL,andtheirbottom-linevalueistheproofof excellenceforDTLSourcing.

DeliveringQualityServices

Therearemanydifficultiesinfulfillingsourcingneedsin anothercountryorregion.DTLSourcingexperiencedthese challengeswhilstworkingforEuropeancompanieswho weretryingtoaccessthevastnumberofproductsbeing producedoutofChina.Thishands-onworkingexperience andknowledgeaboutthenuancesofrespectivefieldledto theinceptionofDTLSourcing.

DTL’snetworkof500+supplierswitharangeofbrands meansitcanprovidecustomerswithmanyoptionssothey canfindtheproductthatbestsuitstheirrequirements.The companybelievesthatproductspecificationisanimportant matterwhensomeoneisinvestinginsomething.

InspiringLeadership

FlavienSerraistheFounderandDirectorofDTL Sourcing.HeisaspecialistinInternationalBusiness& Managementandexcelsintheareasofnegotiationand supplychain.Originally,heisfromFrancebuthavinglived overseasformorethan13yearsnow,heconsidershimself

asanexpat.Hehas13yearsofexperienceinAsiaand15 yearsofInternationalTrading.

FlavienbelievesthatmoderntechnologysuchasInternet facilitatesthesourcingindustrygreatlyforonemainreason: Itgivesaccesstomanyfactoriesorsuppliers.However,itis noteasytodistinguishserious/reliableproducersto frauds/scamsthat’swhytheinternetusermustbevery carefulwhencontactingcompaniesfoundonline.

“What more to expect? we can imagine, through VR, a total immersion inside the factories/through better translators, a better communication with the Chinese companies. In terms of currency, we can imagine crypto currencies can help speed up the financial transactions and lower their costs,” saidFlavien.

Advisingthebuddingentrepreneurswhoaspiretoventure intothesourcingindustry,Flaviensaid,“Beforetryingto startabusinessinstantly,buildyourvisionofwhatthe companyshouldbeintheyearstocome.Settingrealistic goalsandmilestonesisamajorcomponentofbuilding long-termsuccess.Also,youcanfocusononeindustryor certaintypesofproductsfirstbeforeyouwanttopenetrate themarket.”

OvercomingAdversities

DuringCOVID-19,companyrepresentativesfromparent companiescouldnottraveltochecktheirsupplychain statusorsourceforrawmaterialsduetotravelrestrictions. Thiscamewithsomechallengestomostofthecompanies.

First,theycouldnotascertainthequalityoftheOEMparts astheyusedtobeforetravelrestrictionswereputinplace.

Second,theyexperienceddifficultiescoordinatingsupply datesandotherinformationrequiredtogetitemsreadyon time.Shippingwasalsodelayedduetoextraprotocols, eitherleadingtodelaysorforcingcompaniestocancel someorders.

ButDTLSourcinghasadedicatedteaminChinatolocate sourcesofproductsatthequalityandbudgetrequiredby theimportingentity,whichhelpstoascertaintheproduct qualityanddeliverytimestoissueslikepackingand branding.Theagentprovidescompaniesanaccuratepicture ofwhatishappeninginthosefactoriesinChinatoenable themtoadjustdeliverytimesandterms.

DTLSourcing’sChinabasedteamhasaccesstothe factoriesandcanactastherepresentativeofthefirmuntil andaftertravelhasbeenallowed.Ithelpstoprevent disruptionofthesupplychainwhileensuringthattheparent firmgetsgoodintherightquality,quantity,andontime.

BeyondtheHorizon

DTLSourcingisplanningtoexpanditsproductlineand providemorevalue-addedservicestotheclients,aswellas identifyingmorepromisingclientsbyscalingupitsdigital marketingcampaign.Also,Americanmarketwillbethekey focusforthecompany.Hence,itisplanningtodevelopits salesteamandopenanofficethere.

Top Strategic Trends in 2022

Strategicsourcingisnotabrand-newnotion.Itbegan inthelate1980sorearly1990s,tobeprecise. Initiallyusedbymajorcorporationstoevaluateand improvevendorreturnoninvestment(ROI),theapproachis usedbybusinessesofallsizes.

Businessesofallsizesnowhavetheopportunitytocollect andcomparevastdataamongstcompetitors,regardlessof theirsize.Whilethein-depthapproachofstrategicsourcing contributestoitsvalue,thediversityofelementscanmake itdifficulttoascribeprocurementsavingstoasinglefactor. Organizationswhousestrategicsourcing,ontheother hand,reportanumberofadvantages.

HavingaDigitalStrategyinPlace

Theyear2020hasmadeitapparentthateveryorganization, includingitssourcingteam,musthaveadigitalstrategyin place.

Theeventsoftheyear2020tookmanyorganizationsoff guard.Thosewhohadadigitalstrategyinplacedidwell. Theymayhavehadtoactfasterthanintendedbecauseof thegroundworkalreadylaid,buttherewaslessfear,and theywereabletoturnmoreeffectively

Solutionsthatmadesenseandfollowedthestated frameworkwereimplemented.Companiesthatdidnothave adigitalstrategyinplaceatthestartoftheyearoftenfound themselvesscramblingtoadapttoquicklychanging

conditions.Theyprobablyhadtobacktrackonsomeof thosesolutionsafterthesituationhadstabilizedbecause theydidn’tintegrate,lackednecessarycapabilities,orwere thewrongtoolforthejob.

EmbracingtheCloud

Anotherimportantlessonfor2020isthatbusinessesmust embracethecloud.Toestablishsocialdistance,several officessentemployeeshometowork.Thiscompriseda largenumberofprocurementandsourcingteams. Companiesthatusedcloud-basedsolutionscouldadjustto employeesworkingfromhomequicklyandeffectively

Youcanuseyourcloud-basedsoftwarefromhomejustas easilyasyoucanfromtheworkplace.Embracingthecloud providesmorethanjustprotectionagainstcalamitieslikea pandemic.Itallowsemployeestoworkfromhomeorfrom anyremotelocation,anditmakesitmucheasierto integrateacrosswholeprocurementteams,regardlessof location.

AgilityisEssential

Thetendencytowardhigheragilityiscloselytiedto increasedvolatility.Withsomuchchangeandthe unexpectedrise,sourcingteamsrequiretoolsthatcan quicklyadapttochanges.Waitingmonthsforanewfeature tobebroughtouttoalloftheworkplacePCsisnotgoingto cutitin2021oranytimeafterthat.

Companieswhoclingtotheiroldprocurementsoftware solutionsrunthedangerofbeingsloweddownby deployments.Thosewhousemoderncloud-basedsoftware solutionswillgainrapidaccesstonew,simplefeatures, providingthemamajorcompetitiveadvantage.

IncreasingtheDepthofYourSupplierRelationships

Manybusinesseshavelearnedtheimportanceofhaving strongsupplierconnectionsasaresultoftheyear2020.It’s enticingforsupplierstogowiththehighestbidderwhena globalrun-onitemoressentialcomponentsareglobal.

Havingclosercontactwithyoursuppliersreducesthe chanceofbeingshort-changedbyafirmhalfaworldaway withconsiderablymorefunds.

Collaborationandcommunicationareimportantaspectsof developingstrongersupplierrelationships.Strategic sourcingsoftwareandpredictiveprocurementsystemsthat

trackandenablesuppliermanagementwillbecomemore significantinthefuture.

Ontheotherhand,effectivesuppliermanagement increasinglyentailshavingaccesstoextensiveanalyticsand reportingtoolsthatmayhelpyoudiscoverthefinest suppliersinyournetwork—theonesyoushouldbefocused onwhenitcomestocreatingrelationships.

ArtificialIntelligence

Finally,artificialintelligencehasthepotentialtohavethe greatesttransformationalimpactonstrategicsourcingin 2021andinthefuture.Ifnothingelse,theprecedingsix factorshavedemonstratedthatsourcingteamswillhave manyballsintheairtomanageandefficientlyexecute.It canbeacostlymistakeifyoulosetrackofevenone. Worse,eachofthesevariablesisbecomingmore intertwined.

Thesupplychainisextremelycomplicatedandbecoming moresowitheachpassingyear,andthedesireforincreased speedaddstotheissuewhenitcomestosourcingvendors, everysecondcounts.

Thesolutionisartificialintelligence.AIcantrack,analyze, andaccountforavastnumberoffactorssimultaneously Furthermore,AIcananalyzedatafarfasterthana procurementteamcan.Allofthisistoimplythatstrategic sourcingsoftwarepoweredbyAIisatremendous competitiveedgeintoday’sfast-pacedglobalmarket.Itwill becomeoneoftherequirementsinthefuture.

ConcludingWords

Whetherit’salittleorlargecompany,they’reclosingtheir doorsandchangingtoane-commercemodel.Technology playsacriticalpartinallindustriesandservesasasolid strategicadvisor.Automatedtechnologieswillaidfirmsin speedingupsupplychainexecutionandexpandingtheir business.Apartfromthat,thesourcingandprocurement lineswillundoubtedlyresumenormaloperationssince marketleadersmustdevoteattentiontomodern technologiesinordertoremaincompetitive.

- Rahul Thakar

A Source of Strength to Keep Firm in Global Sourcing Market

Sourcingisasupplychainbetweenthesupplierand buyers.Itisthemostbasicandprimarystep.The essentialaspectsofsourcingandprocurementare neededforbusinessestogrow.Itischallengingtosustainin theglobalmarket.Butwithreliablesourcingcompanies thathelpfindgoodsandservicesupplierswithrequired products,negotiateterms,inspecttheproducts,and transportthemtopotentialbuyers,onecanberestassured oftheirbusinessgrowth.

Todobusinessoffshoreiscritical;differentcultures, languages,andregionalsuppliersaretheaspectstokeepin mind.Hence,businessesoptforoutsourcingtomakethis workhassle-freeandmoney-efficient.

ET2CInternational,aBritish-ownedcompany,isknown tohelptheirclientsimproveanddeveloptheirwork globallywherelanguage,culture,andtimedifferencesare present.Since2001,globalizationhasbeengrowing,and thecompany'sfocusisalwaysaboutmanagingthesource, makinghealthyrelationships,qualitycontrol,andmakinga profitforclients.

ChiefOperatingOfficer,SimonArcher-Perkins,ET2C International,whojoinedthecompanyin2007,spoketo usatlengthaboutthecompany,hisjourney,andvisionin aninterview.

Followingarethehighlights:

PleasebriefouraudienceaboutET2CInternational,its USPs,andhowtheyarecurrentlypositionedasa reliablefirminthesourcingmarket.

Simplyput,weaimtomakeourclients'liveseasier. Managingsuppliersoverseasismuchmorecomplexthanit seems,asoneneedstobridgedifferencesofculture, language,time,businesspractices,law,andregulatory environment.We,therefore,deliversolutionsthatdrive visibilityupthesupplychainrighttothefactoryfloor Workingacrossmultiplesourcingmarkets(China,Vietnam, India,andTurkey),ourteamsonthegroundarethereto identifytherightsuppliersintherightmarketsforour clients.Ourexpertiseandproductknowledgeacrossa

Simon Archer-Perkins Chief Operang Officer

Simon started his career at Ernst & Young (now EY) in London, in 2007 he moved to Hong Kong to join ET2C primarily to restructure the Group from a tax and finance perspecve.

With the enjoyment of travel and meeng new people, Simon took on more purchasing and supplier management roles. Aer 15 years, he is now the Chief Operang Officer for the ET2C Group, primarily responsible for the merchant, quality, and logiscs teams in our various offices. This includes making sure the company is set up to meet clients' future expectaons around visibility, data, sustainability, and market access.

relyonus.Infact,mostofourclientsarewithusforthe longterm(overfiveyears),andthisisatestamenttoour peopleandtheserviceweprovide.

Althoughmanycompanieslooktoimplement'directto source'strategies(i.e.,factorydirect),thereiscertainlystill aneedforagentswithinthesourcingarena.Toooften, companiesmisjudgetheenvironmentinwhichtheyare buyingfromoroperating,andthatiswherethe complicationsbegin.Asourcingcompanythatunderstands thislocalmarketperspectivealreadyaddsvalue.Butwhen youoverlayethicalrequirements,productknowledge, commercials(termsandprice),andscalablecapability(i.e., quality,sourcing,logistic,financeteamsarepartofour offer),thebenefitissignificant.

Shareyouropiniononhowmoderntechnologieshave transformedthesourcingindustryandwhatmorecould beexpectedinthenearfuture?

broadrangeofcategoriesallowsustodelivercost-effective productoffers.Ourqualityteamsensurewehavequality assuranceandcontrolcapabilitieson-siteatthefactory

Whetherastart-up,awholesaler,oraretailer,werecognize thateachclienthastheirownneeds.We,therefore,provide arangeofsourcingsolutionsfromadhocconsultancy, sourcinganddevelopingproducts,qualityassurance programstoestablishingdedicatedteamsforourclientson thegroundinAsia.

Ultimately,weallowourclientstomaximizethebenefitsof sourcingoverseaswhilereducingtherisk.

Shedsomelightonyourofferingsandhowtheyimpact theindustryandyourclients?

Wecoverabroadrangeofservicestomeetourclients' needs.Thesevaryfromsourcingproductsandmanaging production,qualitycontroltoprovidingourclientwitha dedicatedteam.Wealsomakesureourchargingstructure fitstheclients'objectives.Forexample,wecancharge basedonvolumespend,savingsgenerated,orevenafixed retainer

Integrityandaccountabilityarecentraltoeverythingwedo. Wethinkthisisimportantanditmeansthatourclientscan

ItwasultimatelyAlibabaandtheinternetthatopenedup offshoremanufacturingtothemassmarket.This transformedthesourcingindustryandgavebuyersthe abilitytosourcenewsuppliersforthefirsttime.Barriersto entryweresuddenlymisleading(asitwasnotalwaysdirect tothesupplier),butinanindustrythatis80% communication,thiswasagiantstepforward.Technology clearlyhasaroletoplay.Primarilytoovercomelanguage, culture,anddistance.Thereisnowarangeoftechnologies thatarefocusedondatamanagementanddataflow These canbeintheformofsourcingsoftwaretofacilitate oversightofsupplierinformationandperformanceortools (oftenSaaS)likeradicalsupplychainmapping,heatmaps andvisualizations,QCtools,pricinganalytics,carbon emissioncalculators,provenancemapping(via Blockchain),containerloadingprogramsand,Iamsure, manyothers.

Thisevolutionwillcontinuedrivenbyashiftinhow consumersbuyproducts.Fromasustainabilityperspective, Iwouldanticipategreateraccesstofactoriesviatechnology andtheirbrandpurpose.Similarly,Ithinktechnological advanceswillbeimportantwithinmanufacturingtolimit wasteandbemoresustainablefortheenvironment.The shippingindustryislookingathydrogenfueltoremoveany emissions.

Itmaybethatyoufindyourselfdoingsuppliervisitsonthe Metaverseinthefuture–themoretraditionalsuppliervisits becomingamemory(butperhapsnotquiteyet!).

The 10 Best Sourcing Companies and Agents to Watch

ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemicanditsimpacton globaleconomies,whatwerethechallengesfacedby ET2CInternational'sdoors,andhowdidyoupivot fromthosechallenges?

ThepandemiccertainlyhadanimpactonET2C,aswitha vastnumberofcompaniesacrosstheworld.Firstly,witha largeChinaheadcount,wehadsignificantdisruptionwhen ChinaeffectivelyshutdowninFebruary/March2020,due tothemasslockdowns.Itwassignificantaswewereunable toshipgoodstoourclients.Thereafter,we,alongsideour clients,havehadtodealwithmultiplelockdownsintheir respectivemarkets,andgivenwehaveclientsacrossthe US,UK,Europe,Australia,NewZealand,Chile,Peru,and Mexico,wewentthroughmultipledisruptionsoverand over.

WedidPivotintoPPEinApril2020,butweworked alongsideourclientstofindsolutionsthatworkforall parties(suppliersincluded).Itreallyshowedthathavingthe abilitytobeflexibleisparamounttobuildingresilient supplychains.

Ofcourse,thedisruptionshavenotstoppedthere.The knock-oneffectsofthepandemichaveledtothesupply constraintswithcontainers,which,mixedwithhigh demand,havedrivenupfreightratessignificantly.Shipping outofAsiasuddenlybecomeslesscost-effectiveforcertain productcategories,andhelpingclientscomeupwithaPlan

BandCusingourmarketreachoutsideofChinahas likewisebeenakeypartofbuildingresilientsupplychains. Wehavealwaysfoundcreativesolutionsforourclients,but thepast22monthshavecertainlyreinforcedtheneedtobe asagileaspossible.

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs aspiringtoventureintothesourcingmarket?

Itisaparticularlyexcitingtimeforentrepreneurswhowant toventureintothesourcingmarket.Thereisalotofchange goingonintheindustryaswellasbroadadoptionof technology.Ithinkyouhavetobepreparedtofindyourself innewenvironmentswithdifferentculturesandnotbe phasedforthisindustry.Ithinkincreasinglytherewillbe 'newfrontier'marketsthatwilltakeonmoreprominencein certainsectors(Ethiopia,forexample).Havingtheabilityto operateeffectivelyinthesemarketswillbeimportant.Be preparedtojumponaplanewhenrequired.Face-to-face discussionsisintegraltodevelopingsolidrelationships.

Intermsofadvice,Iwouldsaytreatyoursuppliersnice-a partnershipthathasasolidfoundationwillalwaysbemore beneficialoverthemediumtolongterm-andneverassume anything.Makesureyoudoallyourduediligence.

HowdoyouenvisionscalingET2CInternational's operationsandofferingsin2022andbeyond?

Companieswillcontinuetobroadentheirexposuretonew sourcingmarketstobuildresiliencetotheirsupplychains. Theywilllooktoremovedependencyonanymarketwhere itmakessense.Nearshoringwillgrowinimportancewhere itisfeasible.Weaimtohaveapresenceonthegroundin thesemarkets,sowewillcontinuetoexpandouroffer makingsurewecandeliverthatvisibilitythatwetalk about.

Whether a start-up, a wholesaler, or a retailer, we recognize that each client has their own needs.

Treat your suppliers nice - a partnership that has a solid foundation will always be more beneficial over the medium to long term - and never assume anything.

Sustainabilitywillbeimportant,andwearecurrently workingwithanumberofpartnerstoexpandourofferingin thisarea.Whetheritisaroundcarbonemissionsorthe removalofplasticinpackaging,wewillcontinueevolving asabusinesstobeabletodeliveradditionalrelevant solutionstoourclients.

Lastly,wearealreadyinvestingintechnology,both internallyaswellaspartneringwithserviceprovidersto deliverdigitalsolutionsaroundsourcing,quality,and informationflow

TestimonialsofET2CInternational

ForthisUKindustrialclient,wedeliveredmargingrowth aswellasahighstandardofqualitytoenablethemtogrow theirclientbase(evenshippingdirecttotheclient).

"TheFunctionthatET2Cprovidesintermsoftheliaison betweenthesuppliersandusfinance,andprocessingorders, expeditingshippingandsuppliersourcinghasbeen absolutelykeytothesuccesswehaveenjoyedsofar",

BakerPerkins,UK.

The 10 Best Sourcing Companies andAgents to

Byitsverynature,thefashion industryisincrediblydynamic, andtrenddriven.Inrecent years,sourcingandsupplier managementinthefashionindustry havebeenscrutinizedmorethan almostanyotherindustry,andthe functionshavebecomeincreasingly vitaltocorporatesuccess.

Millionsofapparelsandaccessories areproducedinfactoriesthroughout theworldfortopglobalbrands,which arepackaged,shipped,andsoldin everycountryontheplanet.Butit requiresapropernetworkofsupply chainwiththeguaranteeofquality standards,deliverytime,and appropriatecost.

Toprovidetheseneeds,Fidèle Sourcingstarteditsendeavorinthe fashionindustrywithitsdistinct services.FideleSourcingisawellknowncompanythatiscarvingouta nichespaceasoneofthefewleading companiesthatarestrivingfor excellenceinthefashionindustry

AProminentSourcingAgent

FideleSourcingisasustainable sourcingagentinAustralia.Itisoneof thefewreputablecompaniesthat devotethemselvestohelpthefashion industrysourceapparels manufacturers,leathergoods,and wholesaledealerswhobelievein,and practicesustainablefashionprocesses andoutcomes.

Thefashionindustryhasevolvedalot inthelastdecadeandcompetitionis growingcontinuously,especiallygiven thegrowthofsocialmedia,Amazon merch,socialinfluencers,and e-commercesites.So,tomeetthe demand,thesourcingagentsand manufacturersaregrowingrapidly.

TeamFideleSourcing,therefore, workscontinuouslywiththefactories tomakesurethattheygetthebest pricesandlookoutforstrongsuppliers whocanworkwithbigquantities.The companyisnotonlylimitedtostrong supplybutalsoitdeliversgoodsona timelymanner.FideleSourcingstands strongwiththeclient’svaluesi.e., commitment,greatquality,andprice.

ProvidingPromptServices

FideleSourcingoffersdistinctservices suchasproductdesign,development, costing,manufacturing,qualitycontrol, inspection,anddomesticand internationaldelivery Thecompany workscloselywithcustomsagentsand

makessurethatgoodsaredeliveredon time.

FideleSourcing’scorevaluesliesnot onlytolistenitscustomersbutalso implementindustryrulesandwork safetyproceduresinthefactories.The companyissourcingsustainable productsforbetterfutureofthe industrybyworkingdirectlywiththe factories.

FideleSourcingstandsstronglywith newindustryrulesforsourcingand manufacturinggarmentstolighten carbonfootprint.Theglobalfashion industryisalargecontributortothe climatecrisisandreducingitsimpactis anecessitylikeanyother

TechnologyTransformingthe Industry

Moderntechnologieshaveahuge impactonhowconsumerssource.A decadeago,peoplehadtotravelacross theworldmostlyinAsiancountriesto orderandmakegarments.Language

Our strength is not limited to our strong supply chain but also delivering goods on a timely manner.

barrierisstillahurdleinmanycases. Butthankstorecenttechsandwebsites likeAlibaba,Fibre2Fashion, FOURSOURCEwhereconsumerscan findidealsuppliers.

Thelanguagebarrierhasalsobeen lookedafterthroughtheappswhere wordscanbetranslatedwithjustone click(Alibaba).Mostofthecompanies haveaFacebookpageshowcasing theirservicesforfreeandgoogle searchenginemakesitveryeasyto findsuppliersonaspecificplace.

Duetotherecentpandemic,theworld isswiftlyadaptingtodigitization.Itis becomingmoreofatrendandsaving thetimeandmoney Thistrendhasan enormouspotentialtogrowinthe comingfuture,wheresourcingwillbe morepersonalizedandgrowthof digitalsampling,web-basedtracking, andonlinecommunicationtools makingiteasierforconsumers.

OvercomingAdversities

COVID-19pandemichasaffected everyone,andbusinessesarestill thriving.FideleSourcingalsofaced manychallengesduringthepandemic. Cancelledorderswereoneofthe biggestissuesamongthem.Also,new orderswerestoppedcompletely

Ontheotherhand,runningcostfor officeandkeepingemployeeswasa hugestruggle.Asaresult,thecompany hadtoletgoofitsmainofficein Uttara,Bangladeshtocopewiththe challenges.Thankfully,itdidn’tlast long,andsoonthecompanygotback onitsfeetwithreturningcustomers.

InvaluableGuidance

Asanestablishedleader,Sami Khandekarsuggeststheaspirantstoget intofashionindustrytoknowtheniche marketandfocusonthat.Hesaid,“I think it’s always a safe option to work in an industry which is continuously growing. Sourcing is not an easy task at all. But dedication will eventually take you there. Industry rules are also changing year after year. Be ready to

travel and work on odd hours because you might be in a different time zone than the country you are sourcing from.”

Hefurtheradded,“Youshouldhave soundknowledgeofdifferentfabrics andtrimsandtheirprices,basic merchandizingskills,and understandingoftheothercultures, whichtakessometimeespeciallyif youhavenoliaisonofficeandnever travelledtothatcountry.”

Samibelievesthatsourcingagencyis themiddlemanbetweenthebuyerand supplierandagreatnegotiationskillis amust.Knowinghowmanufacturingis doneinafactoryisalsoveryimportant fornewpeoplestoknowthenuances ofprocess.

AccordingtoSami,attendingatrade showisagreatplacetoseehowbuyers andsuppliersinteract.Today’strade showstracetheirrootsbacktothe12th centuryinlatemedievalEurope.Yet,it isoneofthebestpracticesto physicallyexaminetheproductsyou arebuying/sourcing.

TurningthePage

FideleSourcingstartedasasourcing agentandnow,ithasahugebaseof happycustomers.Now,thecompanyis workingtoestablishitsownbrandin men’sandwomen’sclothing,home textile,andkidswear.Itisabigdream, andthecompanyistakingstepstodo somethinggreatin2022.

Samibelievesthattheirstrategyand experienceofworkingwithmany clientsaroundtheworldisthestrong pillaroftheirambitions.Fidele Sourcingaspirestocontinueinthe sourcingmarketandachievemoreand helpotherbrandstosucceed.

How

theisTransforming and Procurement Sourcing Market

Procurementexpectationsinthedigitalageareno longerlimitedtothecontributiontothebottomline. Itiscriticaltoconsiderdigitaltransformationfroma big-picture,operatingmodelperspectiveinordertobuild thecorrectvisionofwhatadigitalprocurementcompanyis -andhowtobecomeone.

Thisstrategyiscriticalbecauseitcapitalizesonthe advantagesofdigitaltransformation.Itiscrucialto rememberthatdigitalprocurementisnotonlyabout automatinginefficientoperations.Itisaboutdoingthingsin adifferentwaythat’smoreefficientandsuccessfulin bringingvalueandgrowthtothecompany

Procurementwillneedtogobeyondcost-cuttingto embracetechnologyandtransformthesupplychainintoa valuablestrategicbusinesspartnertosurviveinthedigital age.

Theimpactofdigitaltransformationonprocurementisnot astraightforwardone.Asrepetitiveprocurementoperations areautomated,supplymarketdatabecomesmore prominent,andresourcesshiftfromtransactionaland administrativetaskstointegratingdataandstudying analytics,thefundamentalcoreofthebusinessshifts. Companiesmaystreamlineandautomateoperationsto enhancedeliverytimes,manageinventory,optimize customerinteractions,andcreatenewexperiencesthat increasesatisfactionandpromotesalesthankstoleveraging AI,whichdigitaltransformationoffers.

Inthecomingyears,theroleofdigitaltransformationin procurementwillcontinuetoriseinimportance.By2025,it isexpectedthat20%ofprocurementstaffwillbedata

experts,withdataanalyticsaccountingfor70%ofsavings. Procurementwillnolongerbeahuge,segregated departmentbutwillinsteadbeincorporatedintotheoverall valuechainofthefirm.Unnecessaryprocesseswillbe eliminated,andallavailableresourceswillbepooledto buildanetworkofknowledgetoaddressbusinessconcerns.

ArtificialIntelligenceinProcurement:BasicConcepts

WhenthinkingaboutthevalueofAIinprocurement,itis crucialtosetasidethehypeofahuman-freeworkplaceand castasideanyimagesofAsimov-stylerobotsorviolent HAL-9000s.Artificialintelligenceisrevolutionary,butit hasnothingtodowithTransformers.

Ithelpstohaveathoroughunderstandingofsomekey principlestocomprehendtheroleAIplaysinprocurement (asitdoesinmanyotherareasofbusiness):

Artificial Intelligence referstoasoftwareprogram’sability tomimichumanintelligence.Thiscanincludesimple activities,advanceddecision-making,oreven communicatingwithactualindividualstoachievecertain goals,dependingonthelevelofsophistication.

Machine Learning isamoresophisticatedkindofAIin whichartificialintelligenceispermittedtotrainitselfrather thanbeingactivelyledbyhumansthroughrepeated repetition.Whengivenvariousinterconnecteddatasetsto workwith,thealgorithmlearnstoconnectthedots(ordata points)onitsownandimprovesovertime.

Inconjunctionwithdeepdataanalysis, Data Mining isused toassessandanalyzeallofanorganization’s‘BigData’

pouringinandouttouncoverpatterns,discloseinsights, andimprovetheefficacyandaccuracyofstrategicplanning anddecisionmaking.

TheImpactofAIonManyFunctions Sourcing

ArtificialIntelligencehasevolvedovertimetobecome morehuman-likethanbefore.Itmayanalyzeyoursourcing trendsandbehaviorstofindthebestsuppliersforyou.This freesuptimeforstrategictaskslikesupplierselection, negotiation,anddeterminingwhatisworthwhile.

Contract Management

Importantcontractdateswillneverbeoverlookedwith Zycus’AI-basediContractfeature,SmartAssist.

Renegotiation,uploadingmultiplecontractlineitems,and readingthecontractoutlinewithoutdownloadingthe documentareallquickandeasywaystomaintaintrackof supplierperformance.

Purchase Order Processing

Intelligentsoftwarethatonlyprocessesyourorderifit recognizeswhoyouareandhasyourpermissiontodoso. Unlessaprofessional’shelpisrequiredinextraordinary circumstances,thisisasinglesimpleclick.

Savings

Howcanprocurementdemonstrateitsvaluetothe company?Itisonlypossiblebecauseofreal-timesavings measurement.Existingintelligentsolutionshelpcutdown on‘%realized’debatesbycomparingeachorderand invoicetothepreviouslyagreed-uponsavingsgoal.

Spend Analysis

Theindustryreliessignificantlyonanalyticstoprocessso muchdatafrommanysources;anAI-basedspendanalysis softwarethatcanextractreal-time,detailedinsightsfrom businessexpendituredatacomestotherescue.

FinalThoughts

Artificialintelligence(AI)isthenextbigthingin procurement,anditwillundoubtedlychangethemarket scenario.Fromforecastingimprovementstooptimization andautomationofprocesses,includingtheestablishmentof target-marketingandpricingefforts,AImaysignificantly improveuserexperience.

BecauseAIoperatesontrendsandpatternsratherthan solelyonhistoricaldata,itcanmakeasignificant

contributiontoprocurementanalytics.Itincreases forecastingaccuracyforallpartiesengagedina procurementcontractintheend.

Toimprovethecustomerendexperience,AIminimizes humaninteraction,acceleratesprocessingwindows, improvesreportingstandardswithgreatervisibility, improvesdeliverycommitment,andacceleratesdeployment ofascalableandadaptablevirtualworkforceatacosteffectiveprice.

- Rahul Thakar

A Trusted Name in Toy Sourcing, Sending Smiles Beyond Miles

Sourcingisanimportantaspectof anyretailoperation,bigorsmall. Keepingtrackofwhatyourfirm bringsin,wherethoseproducts originatefrom,andhowmuchthey cost(amongavarietyofothercriteria) iscriticaltothesuccessofyour organization.Findingthecorrect platformtomonitorsourcingiscritical toensuringthatyourorganizationruns asefficientlyaspossible.

Giventhedifferencesintimezones, languagedifficulties,andavarietyof otherissues,globalsourcingcanbe difficult.Hence,havingthenecessary

platformtoproperlymanagetheinputs andoutputsofabusinessisastepthat allretailersshouldtakeinorderto developtheirbusiness.

Toprovidesuchaplatform, TonySourcingstarteditsjourneyin thetoysourcingspace.Since2012, TonyChenwashelpingglobal businessbuyerstoimportallkindsof productsfromChinasuchashousehold items,jewelryitems,toyitems,etc.

Oneday,somecustomersaskedhimif itispossibletosupplythemwith high-qualitykid’stoyswithvarious

designsalongwithbetterpackaging. ThisiswhenTonydecidedtostarthis owncompany–TonySourcing,the companythatcansupplybuyerswith highqualitytoysandvarietyof packaging.

In2015,teamTonySourcingwrote tonsofarticlesandblogsproviding insightsaboutdifferenttoysinChina, theirmanufacturers,tradeinfo,and manysuchtopics.Thisimprovedthe company’sreach,andmany businessmencontactedhimtohelp themimporttoysfromChina.

MostofTonySourcing’scustomers werewholesalersandtoystoreowners. TheyreachedChinaandvisited TonySourcingtoysshowroom,checked samples,andthenplacedorders.

In2018,TonySourcinguploaded videosontheirYouTubechannel givingdetailedinsightsabouttoys. Thesevideoswerebasedonthree points–‘whatwedo+howwedo+ whatnewideawehave’.Thesevideos helpedcustomerstoknowthe procedureofplacingordersand importingthetoys.

TonySourcingfoundsomecustomers whoweresellingtoysononline platformssuchasamazon.Theywere lookingforhigherleverandwere askingforone-stopsupplyand customizedpackaging.So,the

companylaunchedTonySourcing AMAZONTOYSPROJECT(TATP).

Thesourcingprocessadheresstrictly tothequalitycontrolrequirementsas issuedbyAmazonaswellasthe packageandlabelstandards.The companyalsoemploystheexpertiseof aprofessionallabtocertifythatthe productsareASTMF963&CPC compliant,beforeshippingthemto AmazonFBAdirectly.

In2020,duetoCOVID-19,overseas customerswereunabletoreachChina, soTonySourcingstartedtomake catalogsforeverytwomonthsfor customerstocheckonline.Further,the companybuiltupawebsitetoprovide detailsaboutkids’products.

Untilnow,Tonyhashelpedthousands ofglobalbuyersacross80+countries toimporttoysfromChina.Tonykeeps postingnewvideosabouttoysonhis YouTubechannel(TonySourcing Channel).Tonygetsenormouspositive feedbackfromsubscribers,andhekeep improvinghisservicetohelpmoreand morebusinessmen.

BestowingExcellencewithHolistic Services

TonySourcingprovidesthefollowing servicesforbuyersaswellas manufacturers:

1)AgentService

Inthisservice,TonySouringworksasa serviceagenttoguidethebuyertovisit thewholesalemarketinChina.Bythis way,customercancheckthesample directlyandplacetheorder.Oncethe orderisplaced,TonySourcingtakes careofrestofthepartliketaking follow-up,payment,QC,warehouse, andshipping.Thisservicehelpsbuyers tobuyafullcontainerwithvarious items.

Fornow,TonySourcinghasbuiltupan onlinecatalogandproductwebpageso theclientcandirectlyorderonline

withoutvisitingChina,TonySourcing arrangesaone-stopsupply

2)ToysSourcingService

Thisserviceisforanonlineseller business,thebuyerjustsendsthe productinfodetailtotheTonySourcing team.Thentheteamsearchesaboutthe manufacturerandprovidesthefactory quotetothebuyer Thecompany chargesasmallamountofservicefee (5-10%),tohelpthebuyerconfirmthe

orderwithsupply,sampling,order, payment,QC,andshipping.

TheInternet’sInfluence

Searchingasuitablemanufacturercan beatime-consumingtask.However, moreandmoremanufacturersarenow usingtheinternettoadvertisetheir products,aidingthatsearchandchoice easier Theinternetalsohelps manufacturerstodevelopnewdesigns ofproducts.

Tony Chen Founder TonySourcing.com

“The emerging 5G wireless technology will only boost the businesses in the future. It will help the sourcing industry, and the buyer will possibly know the product in a better way without any physical inspection. Today, technology is limited to videos or live streaming, but in future, virtual gadgets such as Metaverse will play a crucial role in every sector,”saysTony, sharinghisopiniononwhyitis importantformanufacturersto leveragenewtechnologies.

OvercomingAdversities

Previously,TonySourcingwasasking theclienttocometoChinaforthe inspectionofsamplesandthenplacing order.But,aftertheCOVID-19 pandemic,overseasbuyersarefinding itdifficulttotravel.So,thecompany becamecustomer’seye.Evenif customersarenotphysicallythere, TonySourcingprovidesthemallthe potentialinformationaboutthe product.

First,thecompanycollectsallthe customerrequirements,thenpickup gooditemsfromits5000 manufacturers+3milliontoysand makesacatalogforclientstocheck. Thiscatalogisupdatedaftereverytwo monthstoprovideclientsthedetails aboutnewproducts.

WordsofAdvice

Tonyadvisesthebudding entrepreneursaspiringtoventureinto thetoymanufacturingspace,saying, “Research the niche market and its customers thoroughly and remember that the market trends always change with the time. Hence, it is important to have a core industrial knowledge before marketing your products. Then communicate with your customers frequently to know about new technologies and trends.”

TheNextChapter

TonySourcingaimstoexpandits sourcingproductshowroomin2022 andwillalsoupgradeitsservices. Alongwithprovidingsourcingservice tohelpbuyersgettherightproduct,it willalsohelptogivemoresolutions abouttoysselling.“Wewillcooperate withdisplaymanufacturerstogive severalsolutionsfortheproduct package,displaymethod,andsoon. Wewilldoeverythingtohelpbuyersto improvetheirbusinesses,”concludes Tony.

ZakeSports

Sourcing Pro in Sports Industry with Over

Brand Partnership

Zarek Zhong Founder

Chinaistheglobalsourcinghubfor manufacturedready-madematerials. Chinesemanufacturingindustriesarethe world'slargestexporters.From smartphonestolaptops,factoryequipment, machines,fitnessandsportsequipment, Chineseindustriesmanufactureandsupplythemallover theworldtovariousbusinesses.Thebusinessesthatare importingfromChinarequireatrustedpartner,alocal supplychainmanagementprovider,toarrangeallthe necessarylogisticstocarryouttheoperationssmoothly

Sportsandfitnessaresomeofthemajorsectorsforwhich specializedequipmentismadeinChina.Avastnumberof sportsandfitnessequipmentsellersaroundtheworldsource theirequipmentfromtheChinesemarket.Arranging productstockatthepreferredlocation,qualityanalysis, packaging,andtransportingneedstobedoneinawellplannedmanner

ZakeSportsisacompanyfoundedbyZarekZhongin 2013thatspecializesinprovidingallthelogisticalsupport thatisrequiredforoverseasbuyerstoimportproductsfrom China.Thecompanystressesmakingprofitable arrangementsforitsclients.Ithasamammoth700brand partnershipsfromalloverthesportingworld.

ZakeSportsisateamof12globaltradingexpertswhohave overeight-plusyearsofexperienceinproductdevelopment, sourcing,supplymanagement,andbrandmarketingtohelp businessesgrow.Itbrandsitselfasa100%satisfaction guaranteeprovidertoitsclients.Thecompanyhasastrong offlinenetworkforsourcinginChina.Thecompanyhas beenworkingwithsports,fitness,andtravelbrandsfor severalyears.Thecompanyhasbuiltalong-term,robust relationshipwiththeleadingsuppliersinChina. Within48hoursofbookingproductsfromsuppliers,their arrivalsarearrangedatanypreferredwarehouselocationin China.Afterthis,a24-hourin-houseinspectionis conductedandreportedtotheclients.Thewholeprocessis keptwelldocumentedatthecompanytoensuresmooth deliveryandazero-returnrate.Thecompanyalsohasa solidnetworkoflogisticserviceproviderstoprovide hassle-freedoor-to-doordelivery.Clientsofthecompany areencouragedtochoosetheirlogisticpartnersaspertheir preference.

WeinterviewedZarekZhong,theFounderofZakeSports, togetaninsightintotheCompany’sprogressanditsplans forgrowthinthecomingyears.

The 10 Best Sourcing Companies andAgents to Watch

Below are the excerpts from the interview:

Pleasebriefouraudienceaboutyourcompany,itsUSPs, andhowitisarecurrentlypositionedasareliablefirm inthesourcingmarket.

Weexchangevalueswithourclients,insteadofjustdoing business.

ZakeSportswasestablishedin2013,wearecurrently connectedwithover700brandsandfactorieswhich providesuswithqualifiedproductionandsampling.We willactasyoursupplychainmanagementteaminChina.

Weareateamof12globaltradingexpertswithover8 yearsofexperienceinproductdevelopment,sourcing, supplymanagement,andbrandmarketingtohelp businessesgrow.

We make profits by how much we create for clients’ business, so we take zero when our clients make no profit.

Shedsomelightonyourofferingsandhowtheyimpact theindustryandyourclients?

Wearebuildingatrustworthyteamforthemarket.For supportingdifferentneedsinChinaimportingbusiness,we offertwoplanswithextraservices,butyoucanstillstart withthefreeserviceoptiontounderstandhowwework together.

Wemakeprofitsbyhowmuchwecreateforclients’ business;sowetakezerowhenourclientsmakenoprofit. Aswechargeacommissionoftotalpurchasedvalue,we assureyouthatyouwillgetacompetitiveprice.

Trustisthefirststepwebuildourpricingplansandpromise thatdonottakeanyotherfee,weonlyrepresentourclients inaprofessionalmanner.

Pleasebriefusaboutyourjourneyintheindustryand howyouhavecontributedtothecompany’ssuccess.

Showinggratitudetoeverycustomerwhohaseverclicked intoyourwebsite–Iperformedthisattributethroughoutthe wholedevelopmentofZakeSports.Beinggratefulincreases happiness,whichleadstomotivationtoachieveyourgoals.

Shareyouropiniononhowmoderntechnologieshave transformedtheindustry,andwhatmorecouldbe expectedinthenearfuture?

Weneedtoslowdown,especiallyinbusiness. Moderntechnologieswillacceleratethetraditionalprocess ofwarfaresorapidly,whatweneedtodois,bestableand sturdy,findingourownpacetomoveforwardisour businessphilosophy

Ofcourse,wearenotthetypeofold-schoolcompany,we acceptandoperatenewtechs.Imean,weareembracing moderntechnologyandappreciatetheseinnovations,but weneedtoslowdowntofindourownpace.

ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemicanditsimpacton globaleconomies,whatwerethechallengesfacedby yourcompany’sdoors,andhowdidyoupivotfrom thosechallenges?

Ourpeoplearetheessentialpart–Ibelieveandsupport them.Duringthesedays,itisimportanttorememberthat wehavefacedcrisissituationslikethisinthepast.Firstof all,itisachallengeforthecompany'scultureand managementpractices.

WhatIdeeplybelieveisthatpeoplearethemostvaluable assettoourbusiness.Ihavetocommunicate,plan,be consistent,showupforouremployees,andsupportthem.

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs aspiringtoventureintothesourcingmarket?

Don'tletyourbusinesstakeoveryourlife,takecareof yourself.

Entrepreneurshipisalifestyle,butpleaseseparatethetime ofworkandleisure.“Workhard,playhard”iswhatIhave beentaughtsincechildhood.

Youcannotmakeyourbusinesssuccessfulbyworkingin yourleisuretime,itisthething,youhavetoslowdownand getridoutofwork,enjoyingthesurroundinglife,and maybesomebusinessideascomeintoyourmind.

Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany’soperations andofferingsin2022andbeyond?

Iwouldsaythesamethingagain,thatourpeoplearethe essentialpart,believeandsupportthem.

In2022,asthecompanyincreasesitsfocusoncustomers, ouremployeesshouldneverfeelleftout.Theemployees areabusiness’sfirstcustomers.Theyarethebrand ambassadors.

Thetoppriorityistokeepallthesepeopleengagedatall timesbyprovidingthemwiththeappropriatetoolsand resourcesthatallowthemtobecomemoreeffectiveand successfulinwhattheydo.