The Sourcing Store Limited

So what is sourcing?

A simple description of sourcing is searching for and locating a product, service or business partner for your company. For some the experience is marred with language problems, cultural misunderstandings or just wasting time, effort and money because of the failure to fully understand the local dynamics and the differences in business culture. Done well sourcing is a combination of local business culture savvy, industry knowledge, skilful negotiation all complimented with a wide network of contacts and suppliers.

Why source from China?

Reduce the cost to manufacture your product. Production in China costs less due to lower labour costs, lower overheads and sheer concentration of production facilities in the manufacturing hubs around Shanghai and north of Shenzhen all competing to do business with you.
The ever increasing consumer pressure for lower prices is forcing manufacturers of all goods to cut costs wherever possible. There is an ongoing effort to remain competitive, preserve market share and in many cases try to survive in highly competitive markets. The inevitable scramble to eliminate waste, improve designs and processes are all stepping stones to taking cost out of a product. Sourcing from lower cost countries is a valuable element of the overall cost reducing strategy that cannot be ignored. Almost every company that manufacturers or assembles a product can benefit enormously from having some component parts or the entire product manufactured in China.

Formulation of a sourcing strategy.

A flood of questions will naturally follow the decision to begin sourcing from China. How will you find the right factory to produce your product and how can quality be controlled effectively from thousands of miles away? How are the language barrier and business culture issues overcome? Do you have sufficient staff numbers and in-house expertise to successfully manage suppliers in China?
How best can you take advantage of the lower costs China has to offer?
A wise decision is to enlist the services of a third party to source for you in low cost countries. This is where The Sourcing Store will help. As already mentioned the first obstacle to procurement from a foreign country is invariably the language barrier and business culture. These issues can be confusing at best and at worst lead to costly mistakes. When you deal with The Sourcing Store this is never an issue. Locally UK based engineers deal with customers in the UK and Chinese locals work with the suppliers in China. Local people working in both territories eliminate cultural issues and this also allows us to capture the benefits of being active in both time zones.

What can we source for you?

Our business is focussed on supply of the following key product ranges.

Industrial components
We have fantastic suppliers in china concentrated on four types of industrial components. These are plastic and silicon rubber moulding factories, metal stamping houses, precision machining shops and casting factories. These suppliers range in size and areas of expertise allowing us satisfy the needs of any client. We look for multiple quotations so you get the best price possible.

LED Lighting
This is proven technology that is saving money for countless businesses across the world. The LED tube lights consume 65% less energy than the standard fluorescent light tubes therefore drastically reducing electricity bills and carbon footprint. The return on investment is excellent for any company using the lights more than eight hours per day. This is the case in many offices, petrol stations, shops, factories, car parks and tunnels. Further benefits are no ongoing maintenance costs, no annoying flickering lights, no harmful chemicals such as mercury etc., existing light fittings can be used, better light quality and enhancing the environmental image of your company. We are very excited about the standard and quality of LED lighting we are now sourcing from China. We will complete a no obligation audit and demonstrate the savings you can achieve by changing to LED lights. When you decide to proceed with the project we offer two alternative approaches.

1. Provide an all inclusive price for supply and fit out of the LED lights on your premises by our registered electrical contractors.

2. Sell the LED lights to you and your contract or in-house electricians can complete the installation.

Hotel and office furniture
Exceptional cost savings can be achieved by sourcing directly from China for all hotel and office furniture. Some clients are very happy with the cost savings while other clients take the opportunity to buy higher quality furniture for the same original budget. All styles and materials are available and where necessary the furniture designs can be customised to the client's specifications.

Consumer products
We are happy to assist with sourcing many different types of consumer products. Some of the suppliers we found recently for customers were manufacturers of bags, T-shirts, surfboards and accessories for the ipad and iphone such as covers, sleeves cases and stands. If you have a query regarding sourcing any type of product just contacts us and we will deliver the most competitive prices available.

What services can you expect from the sourcing store?

We recognise the fact that different customers have different requirements and to accommodate this diversity we tailor our services to suit the needs of each customer. This said our services can be broadly categorised as follows.

Product Procurement Service
We provide full product procurement service and we charge based on a total inclusive product price shipped directly to you the customer. This product price typically includes the product purchase price, shipping charges, insurance and import duty. All parts are produced to drawings and specifications agreed with you and to meet international quality standards. If all you have is sketches, samples or photographs this is no problem. We will produce the drawings for you and progress the project from there.

Source and Qualify Contract Manufacturers in China
We identify, audit and qualify contract manufacturers in China for Customers in the UK. We can also conduct credit checks on Chinese suppliers for our UK clients. We can assist you transfer production to a manufacturing facility in China. Our Chinese engineers are located in the main manufacturing regions of China allowing us compare prices across China while remaining in close proximity to the factories to manage production of your products.

Quality Inspection Service
We provide both In-Process and Final Quality inspection services at your Contract Manufacturer's facility in China. These quality inspections are conducted to meet the standards outlined on your guidelines and procedures.

Arrange Client Visit's to China
We arrange trips to China for clients who want to visit contract manufacturer's facilities and meet directly with the supplier themselves. This service can include everything from airport transfers, hotel bookings, transportation arrangements, translation services and negotiation assistance.

Drawing Creation (2D and 3D)
We provide a drawing service to allow you convert your sketched to 2D or 3D drawings whichever you require at a very reasonable cost. We can also convert your 2d drawings to 3d models.

In conclusion the sourcing store is the perfect partner to assist your business save money, improve profitability and attain the maximum benefit from sourcing in China. You can find us at www.thesourcingstore.com or simply e-mail an inquiry to info@thesourcingstore.com.