Local sourcing strategy
Dive into the pros and cons of sourcing locally
Pros of sourcing locally
It’s important to remember that each organisation is different, so a local sourcing strategy may not be suitable for everyone. However, if you are thinking of sourcing locally, look at some of the advantages it has.
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Cons of sourcing locally
Take a look at some of the disadvantages of sourcing locally which you should consider before adopting a local sourcing strategy within your organisation.
- Core products, raw materials or specialist skills may not be located locally to your organisation.
- Labour costs may be higher in your local region.
- Close supplier/staff connections can lead to issues with ethical supplier selection
- Undesirable local publicity can arise when contracts need to be terminated: If you no longer want to renew a contract with the local supplier, this could cause bad PR for your organisation.
- Possible resistance to change: If you once sourced your goods globally and are now opting for a local sourcing approach, business practices change. This could lead to a resistance in change and staff not being on board with the decision.
- Supplier may be dependent on you: It can often be difficult for the supplier to do business with a competitor, making them heavily reliant on your organisation’s business.
- Policy issues around encouraging competition and positive discrimination of local suppliers
- Limited choice: With an increasingly competitive market, sourcing locally means you are limited on choice, which could come at a price. Sourcing globally helps to reduce costs where you are sourcing from a country that has increased manufacturing capacity or lower labour costs.
