Global Sourcing & Supply Chain Management

What does it really mean to play in a global market? One answer is that each company faces more threats, but at the same time has new opportunities. The removal of trade barriers and introduction of global trading rules to WTO standards has given advantage to large scale manufacturers and stimulated the concentration of business operations to certain geographical areas. Scale and scope economies are nowadays easier to reach and provide large players with relevant competitive advantages at all market levels. Are we then inevitably moving towards a market of giant companies and retailers? Not necessarily.

The very same dynamics, which are making the global market a single entity, are also allowing “isolated” companies to network at an international level and thereby grow and become more successful. Ever more strategic value in these industries is being created through the design and orchestration of a winning supply chain architecture.

However, the development of such architecture cannot be left to chance. Suppliers, clients and partners must all be identified, approached and selected with a clear strategy in mind. In addition, there are many external factors to contend with such as the cost of energy or labor, the level of taxation and the availability of investment incentives. These must be scrutinized in combination with other aspects such as logistics and political stability.
Today, western textile players need to perform a critical but also creative analysis of current and future supply chain requirements and need to be put in touch with sourcing opportunities to match the profiles already defined in their company strategy. Features to analyze include competitiveness, design, distinctive content, time to market and overall responsiveness, as well as reliability and integrity.

With a consolidated experience in partner search, global sourcing and supply chain management, the Werner team and our international network of experts is focusing on supporting our clientele not only in the “design or development” phase but also at all levels of implementation. The secret of success lies in the execution, where our assistance becomes essential in fine-tuning activities, monitoring results and establishing effectively operating supply chains.