Evaluating suppliers using verified insights

Ensure you’re making the right choice in supplier selection through our platform’s data-driven features.

Selecting a supplier is a crucial step for your business, fraught with uncertainty and risks. However, with verified data and insights, you can significantly de-risk this process. Here’s how you can use Sourcing Playground to evaluate potential suppliers meticulously:

Step 1: Shortlist Your Suppliers
  1. Utilize our AI tool or look at competitor suppliers to create an initial list. Please refer to our other guides for me details. Make a note of the supplier names you’re interested in.
Step 2: Navigate to Supplier Tab and Analyze
  1. Click on the “Supplier” tab and search using the supplier name.
  2. If multiple entries appear, use the checkboxes to select all corresponding records for a holistic view. Pro-tip: Add the ‘Address’ column to aid in this.
  3. Click “Analyse selected rows” for aggregated insights.
Step 3: What to Look For

Here’s what the aggregated insights will tell you:

  1. Clients and Volume: Primarily based on U.S. sea import data, this provides a snapshot of the supplier’s operations, although not the complete picture.
  2. Additional Information: Especially for fashion suppliers, look for parent companies, facility types, processing types, employee count, and contact details. Use the quick links to Google and LinkedIn for deeper research.
  3. Products: Shows the U.S. import volume by product type.
  4. Top Buyers: Data on the volume and percentage from each U.S. buyer.
  5. Segments: These are manually curated by our team and indicate the types of buyers the supplier generally deals with.
Step 4: Go Deeper
  1. The “Buyers” tab shows volume trends for each buyer. A stable or increasing trend is generally a positive indicator.
  2. Adjust graphical settings via the settings panel on the right to visualize the data in a way that suits you best.
  3. The “Product” tab reveals the top products and their respective buyers. Use this to gauge the supplier’s specializations and emerging trends in their product categories.
Find Prospects Using Import Export Insights
  1. Certifications: Check if the supplier has industry-specific or multi-industry certifications like ISO and SA8000. This can indicate whether they’ll align with your quality standards.
  1. The “Activity” tab offers comprehensive shipment details, allowing you to scrutinize aspects like product descriptions, shipment dates, and weights.

By following these steps, you’ll be well-equipped to make an informed decision about partnering with a particular supplier. Trust, but always verify with Sourcing Playground.

Sourcing Playground aims to simplify your sourcing journey, offering a variety of tools to find, vet, and connect with suppliers. Want to explore more functionalities? Check out our other use cases for additional insights. 

FIND A
FACTORY
FIND THE BEST
COUNTRY
LOOK UP
COMPETITORS
FIND
PROSPECTS
EVALUATING
SUPPLIERS
SOURCE
RAW MATERIALS

Ready to Get Started?

Once you’ve explored our use-cases, you’re one step closer to making more informed sourcing decisions. Click below to request a free trial or get in touch with our team!

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