Global Sourcing Solutions

We help our clients take advantage of the benefits of developing and expanding global supply networks. We build competitive advantage for our clients through the development of sustainable, world-class global sourcing and supply management capabilities. Continual enhancements in technology and the emergence of new “low cost sourcing” options have contributed to the re-emergence in cost-reduction and growth opportunities associated with global sourcing and procurement.

In parallel to the opportunities associated with global sourcing and procurement, greater risks are appearing if sourcing initiatives are not properly setup and managed. Such risks include the over reliance on individual countries where costs are steadily rising, in addition to geo-political risks and unrest in a growing number of countries typically associated with low cost country sourcing solutions. We design strategic sourcing approaches to provide immediate impact for our clients, but we also believe that to ensure sustainability, a formal performance program—that includes organizational and cultural changes—must also be implemented.

WHAT MAKES OUR PRACTICE DISTINCTIVE?

Infinite Sum have 20+ years and a strong track record in delivering large scale and small scale sourcing initiatives on behalf of clients ranging from Fortune 500s to those with revenues of less than $100m. We have a proven record of immediate impact and on average we expect to deliver our clients minimum savings in excess of 10-15 percent by implementing our global sourcing recommendations across a variety of key categories and industries.

Our global sourcing and procurement consultants have significant functional and industry expertise globally within the specific product categories and industry segments that our clients engage us to operate within.

Portrait of a confident, attractive young professional, representing one of Infinite Sum's global sourcing and procurement consultants

OUR SPECIFIC SERVICE OFFERING:

Infinite Sum views Global Sourcing as a holistic roadmap, consisting of a series of steps as outlined in the graphic below. The five key elements that contribute to developing a total sourcing solution include:

Global sourcing development & planning
Supplier search & selection
Supplier engagement & integration
Supplier development & ongoing management
Establishment of a localized procurement office.

At the beginning of every engagement, Infinite Sum work with our clients to develop and plan the specific initiative in hand, i.e., Step 1 of the roadmap.

Map graphic with a list of the steps Infinite Sum takes to implement their global sourcing strategy

Global Sourcing Development + Planning

Global Supplier Search + Selection

Global Supplier Engagement + Integration

Global Supplier Development + Ongoing Management

Local Procurement Office Development + Management

Spend profiling
Country profiling
TCO modeling
Country risk assessment
Industry risk assessment
Supplier risk assessment

Market research and intelligence
On-site supplier audits and qualifications
RFQ management and supplier selection
Commercial contract development and execution

Product transfer management
New production qualification
Quality assurance design
Optimized logistics design
Order to delivery process design

Quality system development
Manufacturing development
Trends benchmarking
Quality assurance audits
Compliance management
Continuous improvement
Lean management
Contract performance management

Establish international procurement office
Staff planning, recruitment and training
Management as an outsourced function
Integration into client global organization

Upon the development and completion of the sourcing plan, every client has a different perspective on, and requirement of where they want to go, and what they want to do. In some instances this can vary with the same client, depending on the product category in question.

To facilitate flexible requirements, we have structured our services so that a client can retain Infinite Sum to deliver individual sourcing roadmap steps, or they can drill a level lower and we can deliver individual service offerings within a given step. These individual service options are listed beneath the key sourcing steps in the graphic above.

OUR PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE TOOLS AND DATABASES:

Over the course of several years, we have worked closely with our technology partners to develop a specific suite of customizable software applications that we use internally in the delivery and management of our global sourcing solutions. Examples of such applications include:

RFQ Management
Supplier Audit and Management
Packaging Specification Management
Production Order Scheduling Management

As part of our standard service, these tools are part of our internal delivery solution. But we also offer these tools as stand-alone options for clients who wish to utilize them within areas of their business that Infinite Sum are not active.

Representative portrait of Infinite Sum executive

WHY YOU SHOULD WORK WITH INFINITE SUM:

Sourcing is not risk-free, and global or low-cost country sourcing can bring additional risks to companies that are not familiar with business norms in overseas territories or with the complexities of commerce outside traditional trade blocks. Cost is not the only driver to better sourcing practices. Often a broader supply chain perspective is required, one that encompasses integrated program management and a clear understanding of all the issues involved across a broad spectrum of supply chain processes. Companies should take a holistic approach to sourcing, working with experienced partners like Infinite Sum that help to scale fast.

We invite you to contact us direct to help us understand your exact need, or indeed any questions you may have. Once we gain a better understanding of your situation and requirement, we can walk you through in more detail exactly how Infinite Sum can help you deliver the results you require and what our recommendations will be.

We also invite you to review a sample of our global sourcing related case studies that we have available on our website for review. These are only a small sample of our recent engagements, so if you cannot find what you are looking for then please don’t hesitate to contact us and we can arrange to present to you the most applicable case study relative to your requirement