When given the opportunity to make significant changes to your supply chain, the mantra of “question everything” can’t be overstated—even when the topic becomes cheap labor for consumer product manufacturing.
Should you find yourself in a position to review and potentially make major changes, I would offer the following three points for consideration.
1. The source of the raw ingredient and its impact on cost is crucial.
Many people think that a majority of a finished good product cost is in labor and manufacturing overhead. But for us, and likely others, cost is largely tied to the ability to find local production of the raw materials and components. If you have to import “raws” and components, you are likely going to lose the economic edge that cheaper labor might otherwise provide.
My team puts a tremendous focus on the quality and source of the raw ingredients—it’s our key focus that drives our premium positioning.
Focusing on your raw material sourcing as the most important aspect of your supply chain shifts you away from chasing cheap labor. You are better off centering your manufacturing plant around material supply and proximity to your customer base. For many consumer products, the economics simply don’t work out when your raw materials aren’t locally produced.
2. Understand customer preferences.
Consumer demand for goods produced in certain countries is increasing. The value of the country of origin varies, of course, by the product category. We find that “Made in the USA” carries premium positioning globally for nutrition products. Consumers simply trust the safety of foods produced in the U.S. For other categories, like beauty and skin care, sourcing from markets such as the U.S., Korea, Japan or France carries a premium influence. For home care or durable goods, such as TVs, there is far less emphasis on the country of origin.
You must identify reliable sources for consumer intelligence and leverage those learnings deeply. For example, our network of independent distributors is a pipeline that supplies a wealth of information about consumer preferences from all around the world. These learnings drive decisions and can’t be discounted in today’s marketplace.
Material Handling & Logistics is an IndustryWeek companion site within Penton's Manufacturing & Supply Chain Group.
