A brand owner needs the freedom to source and manufacture, anywhere in the world, to be able to gain a competitive advantage without compromising quality or availability. There are certainly benefits to global sourcing, but lead times are almost always longer than they would be if production took place domestically, and there is less flexibility in rolling out new products and making production and logistics changes as demand fluctuates. Successful offshoring depends on solid, timely communications between trading partners, brand owners, manufacturers and raw material suppliers.
 
It all comes down to visibility. When information is captured at the source, reporting made simple and unobtrusive through effective user-sensitive system design and information is routed throughout the organization in a form that makes it useful and valuable, all parts of the supply chain can work together to reduce cycle time and response time, maximize the use of resources toward company objectives, and improve the effectiveness of the entire extended organization.
 
Global sourcing presents its own challenges, mostly because of the distance, language and cultural barriers, and the time it takes to communicate and react. Long lead-times make planning and responding to change particularly troublesome. A solid, well-designed global sourcing infrastructure can provide the tools to manage a widespread network of suppliers, customers and resources to deliver the most effective results for business success.