A near-fad mentality to source in China has developed in buyers of plastic products. Major company senior managements are declaring that sourcing should only be done in China in a near-total absence of strategic comparison data that is relevant to their products. Their employees then stop thinking critically and do as they are told regardless of the impact. Many of these off-shore sourcing decisions are inappropriate and very costly both for the buyer and for the North American suppliers they didn't but probably should have used. A review of case studies permits some understanding of the key elements that both suppliers and buyers need to assess in making intelligent sourcing decisions. Further strategic assessment reveals some specific differences in strategy and methods that should be considered by mold builders, molders, and buyers to know when the emperor is naked.
展开▼
