What is a Sourcing Company? What do Sourcing Companies do? — Cosmo Sourcing (2024)

What does a sourcing agent or sourcing company do, and how do they help companies find suppliers overseas?

A Sourcing Company or a sourcing agent helps a company find sources for products and supplies at a low cost and of a certain quality or attributes.Some may represent a few select factories or serve multiple companies. For example, at Cosmo, we have no exclusive contracts and search for the best factories for a company.

How do sourcing companies work with clients?

Sourcing companies and agents work to get clients the best price for whatever product they need and meet quality standards.

They ensure the factory or supplier can produce and deliver the product promptly. Knowledge of multiple languages, including any local language, as well as local business customs and norms, is essential. A sourcing company or agent should have good business skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Sourcing companies should be expected to create long-term, stable, valuable contracts and relationships with suppliers. Both sides should be happy to work with a good sourcing company. At Cosmo, we pride ourselves on creating such relationships.

What makes a good sourcing company?

A good sourcing company assesses the client's needs and finds factories and suppliers that can best meet them, resulting in a purchase order.Companies and individuals want a sourcing company or agent to locate a company they can work with overseas. Cosmo and other reputable companies can also inspect a company in person and confirm that they can meet a company's needs.

In addition, Sourcing companies should be able to address ethical concerns, including working conditions and pollution.Cosmo will deliver a detailed report, including photos and copies of necessary licenses and certificates. Cosmo is committed to ensuring that our factories have decent working conditions and adhere to any environmental standards the client requests. We operate on the belief in a fully transparent supply chain.

Traditionally with sourcing companies, pay is on a commission basis–an average of 3-5% of the purchase order.At Cosmo, we offer a flat rate pricing plan for most items, designed especially for people who sell items on Amazon FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon). While it's a common practice for sourcing companies to hide their supplier's contact information, Cosmo offers transparency and the ability to pay the factory directly. This creates open communication because our fees are billed separately. By billing separately, you know the exact amount going to your supplier, and you can know that you are getting the best possible price.

What does a sourcing company do?

A sourcing company's primary purpose is to find manufacturers able and willing to make your product. A sourcing company should get quotes that include:

What info should a sourcing company get?

What differentiates a sourcing company from a trading company is that a sourcing company introduces you directly to the manufacturer. A trading company will be a middleman. A sourcing company needs to provide all details about a factory. This includes the Company name, name of a contact person, address, email address, phone number, and more.

What additional services can sourcing companies provide?

Sourcing companies should be able to arrange factory visits, assist with QC, and connect with third-party services that can do inspections, testing and certifications, and freight forwarding.

Sourcing companies and sourcing agents should be able to deal with issues, including import/export duties, taxes, tariffs, and any local and international norms.

A sourcing agent or company should be able to move goods quicker, cheaper, and with less risk through the entire international supply chain. This is also important in countries with large bureaucracies to reduce the red tape and avoid troubles in countries with rampant corruption.

Ultimately a sourcing agent should save a company more money by using them than they receive.For example, Cosmo believes we should deliver at least five times our value. So if you are paying us $1,500, we should be expected to save you at least $7,500 on a total project cost. A good sourcing strategy should seek advice and quotes from multiple sourcing agents and companies to find the best one to serve you.

Do you want our team to find you a great manufacturer, get quotes and introduce you directly to great suppliers?

Our Simple Sourcing service is designed to do everything to turn your idea into a shipped product. Our services are designed to do everything to take your idea, turn it into a product, and ship it to the final destination. Cosmo can do everything from creating a product spec sheet, validation, sourcing, ordering and evaluating samples, arranging inspections, finding freight forwarders, quality assurance, negotiations, and shipping. We aim to handle every single step of your business in Vietnam for you.

If you start a new business, finding products and suppliers for your products is one of many things, you need to handle. Our services are designed to handle every part of your business in China and Vietnam, so you can focus on the rest of growing your own business.

We have helped clients from Fortune 500 companies, brick-and-mortar stores, FBA sellers, and brand-new businesses. So don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help you.

info@cosmosourcing.com

What is a Sourcing Company? What do Sourcing Companies do?  — Cosmo Sourcing (2024)

FAQs

What is a Sourcing Company? What do Sourcing Companies do? — Cosmo Sourcing? ›

A Sourcing Company or a sourcing agent helps a company find sources for products and supplies at a low cost and of a certain quality or attributes. Some may represent a few select factories or serve multiple companies.

What is an example of sourcing? ›

What are the examples of sourcing?
  • Global sourcing: Refers to when a company buys its raw materials or necessary items from other countries in the world. ...
  • Low-cost country costing: Refers to the cost-effectiveness of sourcing raw materials from low-cost countries like India and China.
Apr 14, 2022

What is the role of a sourcing agent? ›

A sourcing agent helps a business find low-cost sources for items and materials so that it may save money on manufacturing. A single business may employ agents in this field, or they may own a company that provides its services to several clients.

How do I find a sourcing company? ›

Select a sourcing agent that can give you authentic references from other businesses. Make sure you take the time to talk to these references and also check their websites. Find out how long they have been working with the sourcing agent and the quality they provide. Ask them if they would recommend the sourcing agent.

What is supplier sourcing? ›

Sourcing involves activities around identifying and evaluating potential suppliers as well as selecting and engaging with a suitable supplier that offers the best value both in terms of product and cost.

What is an example of a company sourcing? ›

Global sourcing refers to buying the raw materials or components that go into a company's products from around the world, not just from the headquarters' country. For example, Starbucks buys its coffee from locations like Colombia and Guatemala. The advantages of global sourcing are quality and lower cost.

How do you explain sourcing? ›

Sourcing is the process of vetting, selecting, and managing suppliers who can provide the inputs an organization needs for day-to-day running. Sourcing is tasked with carrying out research, creating and executing strategy, defining quality and quantity metrics, and choosing suppliers that meet these criteria.

What makes a good sourcing agent? ›

Sourcing agents know the language and cultural background of the country they are dealing with. This lessens misunderstandings that the suppliers might take offensively. Sourcing agents also increase your chance of finding high-quality goods that match your budget or even for a lower price.

How can I be a good sourcing agent? ›

Top Six Qualities of a Good Sourcing Agent
  1. Trustworthiness. ...
  2. Quality-focused. ...
  3. Accountability from pre-sales to after-sales Service. ...
  4. Be a colleague of the buyer. ...
  5. Be a friend to the suppliers. ...
  6. Protect the buyer's business secrets.
Jan 7, 2021

What are the 5 steps of sourcing? ›

Strategic Sourcing: Five Steps to Secure the Best Suppliers
  • Evaluate, collect data and build a strategy. ...
  • Determine the right engagement model. ...
  • Research and award your supplier. ...
  • Contract implementation. ...
  • Invoice set up and monitoring.
Oct 8, 2020

How do I start sourcing? ›

Six steps to successful product sourcing
  1. Research your product. First and foremost, retailers need to understand the product. ...
  2. Contact any potential suppliers. ...
  3. Ask for samples. ...
  4. Choose supplier to trial-run an order. ...
  5. Evaluate supplier. ...
  6. Keep other supplier options!
Mar 22, 2019

What are the five options of sourcing? ›

So, after careful thought, our five principles of sourcing are Coherence, Alignment, Rigour, Openness and Commerciality.

What are the different types of sourcing? ›

8 types of sourcing
  • Outsourcing. Outsourcing is the process of contracting an external organization to provide supplies or services. ...
  • Insourcing. ...
  • Single sourcing. ...
  • Near sourcing. ...
  • Vertical integration. ...
  • Joint venture. ...
  • Recruiting. ...
  • Wholesale.
Jun 24, 2022

What is sourcing services? ›

Sourcing services is the act of acquiring services needed by your business. But many of us only know how to source goods. This sourcing is uncommon, especially for end-users. As a procurement manager, this is essential in the procurement process as you also deal with services.

What are the 6 steps sourcing process? ›

6 Step Strategic Sourcing Process
  1. Analyse Your Internal Needs And The Market. ...
  2. Identify Potential Suppliers. ...
  3. Develop A Strategic Sourcing Strategy. ...
  4. Negotiate With Suppliers. ...
  5. Implement The Strategy. ...
  6. Review Performance And Implement Continuous Improvement.

What kind of job is sourcing? ›

Sourcing is the proactive searching for qualified job candidates for current or planned open positions; it is not the reactive function of reviewing resumes and applications sent to the company in response to a job posting or pre-screening candidates.

What are the 3 stages of a sourcing process? ›

The general sourcing process can be divided into the following 5 stages, explained below.
  • Stage 1: Preliminary Research – Investigation and Tendering. ...
  • Stage 2: Market and Supplier Evaluation. ...
  • Stage 3: Selection of the Supplier (Sourcing Event) ...
  • Stage 4: Implementation. ...
  • Stage 5: Performance Monitoring.
Sep 15, 2015

What is sourcing job description? ›

Sourcing specialists assist companies in effecting more efficient sourcing processes to save costs and maximize profitability. They negotiate with suppliers to obtain goods, materials, and services at the best prices by using strategic sourcing strategies and extensive knowledge of their commodity industry.

What is sourcing skills? ›

Sourcing is a talent acquisition discipline which is focused on the identification, assessment and engagement of skilled worker candidates through proactive recruiting techniques.

How do you answer sourcing interview questions? ›

When answering sourcing interview questions, it can be beneficial to mention your communication skills, for negotiating with vendors, and your problem-solving abilities, for discovering ways to reduce company spending.

What are the 3 main elements of a sourcing plan? ›

Three essential steps to creating a sourcing and procurement plan
  • Step 1: Identifying opportunities. The organization's requirements for a service or product usually trigger opportunities or needs. ...
  • Step 2: Specification and need analysis. ...
  • Step 3: Strategic Analysis.
Jan 13, 2017

What are three strategies for sourcing ideas? ›

In the meantime, let's take a look at how to optimize your sourcing strategy with these four key tips:
  • #1: Be Specific & Streamline Candidate Searches. ...
  • #2: Maintain a Strong Sourcing Pipeline. ...
  • #3: Take Care to Identify Passive Candidates. ...
  • #4: Identify Top Sources for Talent & Track the Right Metrics.
Jan 30, 2023

How do sourcing companies work? ›

A Sourcing Company or a sourcing agent helps a company find sources for products and supplies at a low cost and of a certain quality or attributes. Some may represent a few select factories or serve multiple companies.

What are 3 qualities that a product sourcing assistant must have? ›

Skills:
  • Have an understanding of payment terms with the new supplier.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Strong at building relationships with new suppliers.
  • Good negotiation skills.
  • Pro-active.
  • Attention to detail.
  • Ability to work on your own or as part of a team.
  • Flexible.

What are the 4 pillars of sourcing? ›

However, strategic sourcing is a mansion supported by 4 pillars- Spend analysis, sourcing, contract management supplier management.

What are the two sourcing strategies? ›

Single-source purchasing refers to purchases from one selected supplier, even though other suppliers provide similar products. Sole-source procurement refers to purchases with only one supplier.

What are the basic sourcing principles? ›

These five principles are:
  • Best Total Value.
  • Honest, Ethical and Fair Dealings.
  • Externally Linked Supply Solutions.
  • Competition and Collaboration.
  • Supplier Incumbency.

What are the four steps of the sourcing process? ›

Before you get started, it's important to know the basics; here are our four steps explaining the procurement process:
  • 1 – Identifying need. The procurement process always starts with the same component – need. ...
  • 2 – Supplier evaluation and selection. ...
  • 3 – Purchase order. ...
  • 4 – Delivery.
Jun 26, 2017

What is a sourcing plan? ›

A strategic sourcing plan requires procurement to assess and manage the change so that the benefits of the procurement strategy are realized. The plan must be created in a way that ensures: The benefits identified in the strategy are delivered in full and on time.

What are examples of sourcing in US history? ›

Primary sources may include diaries, letters, interviews, oral histories, photographs, newspaper articles, government documents, poems, novels, plays, and music. The collection and analysis of primary sources is central to historical research.

What is one of the most common uses of sourcing? ›

1. Cost-Saving. The first and most popular benefit of strategic sourcing is the amount of money that organizations can save by selecting and choosing suppliers that will offer the highest value at the best price possible.

What is direct sourcing example? ›

A car manufacturer, for example, needs specific kinds of steel and plastic that are eventually fitted into its vehicles. The procurement of these materials can be called direct sourcing. Because these materials are vital for production, direct sourcing is generally managed in-house by a central procurement team.

What are the 5 aspects of sourcing? ›

5 Key Stages in the Sourcing Process
  • Stage 1 Understanding the need and developing specifications.
  • Stage 5 Developing contract / documentation.
  • Stage 6 Supplier selection.
  • Stage 9 Contract award and implementation.
  • Stage 12 Supplier performance / Supplier management.
May 5, 2020

What is a typical sourcing strategy? ›

Simple sourcing strategy involves finding the most cost-effective supplier of goods. It's carried out in many different areas and for a variety of business needs. One of the most common forms of sourcing is known as supply chain management.

How many types of sourcing are available? ›

The two broad types are in-house model or Insourcing, where a company does its own sourcing with in-house staff or through a group company; and the outsourced model or Outsourcing where it relies on an external agency to fulfil the requirements.

What is sourcing and it type? ›

What is Sourcing? Typically, sourcing is finding the best supplier that delivers the quality of goods or services at a price range that allows the business owner to make the necessary profit margins. Sourcing fits into supply chain management like a hand in a glove.

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