The Process of Globally Conscious Sourcing

Global Ladder has developed the steps to guide our clients through the process. These procedures ensure that key  stakeholders at every level of the company understand their roles in order to maximize the value of the contractual awards to the successful SMEs.

Process Outline

1.Requirements Definition. This clarifies the intent and goals of the client's participation in the Program. Harmonize with client's current sourcing practices and operational profiles.
2. Assign Program Representatives. Assign members of client team to manage program and enlist the commitment of Procurement, Quality, Operations resources needed to assist program ramp-up.
3. Product & Supplier Selection. Identification of appropriate materials/components for inclusion and matching them with pre-qualified suppliers taken from the SME Database.
4. Implementation. Determination of quality standards, cost reduction targets, and timelines. Execution of  SME supply contract. Arrangement of client technical assistance needed to achieve SME targets and timelines.

The Value Proposition
Why should your company or any corporation be interested in Globally Conscious Sourcing?
□ New Market Development. Many African nations are undergoing a remarkable transformation. A large percentage of the 800 million consumers on the continent could be your customers today given a strategy targeted to those at the Bottom of the Pyramid.
□ Supply Base Diversity. The current low cost country sourcing destinations for manufacturing--China, Malaysia, Indonesia, et al-- are already experiencing rising costs as multinationals flock to their shores in increasing numbers. Africa can be tomorrow's source for low cost skilled manufacturing given the development opportunities today.
□ Global Economic Stability. How healthy is a world that allows a continent virtually a billion people to live in poverty outside the global economy. To paraphrase Tom Friedman from his bestseller The World is Flat, the biggest threat to globalization is those live outside of it. Some of America's forward thinking business leaders such as Bill Gates,Sr. recognize the need for immediate action through their forum Initiative for Global Development .
□ Brand Image. There are millions of consumers that place great value in corporate social responsibility. Associating your brand with a program that provides jobs and strengthens the households some of the world's poorest people is the essence of goodwill.

Allow Global Ladder to demonstrate the power of your procurement through the Globally Conscious Sourcing program.

Defining the Concept
Let’s begin by defining the term “Low Cost Country  Sourcing”: As the name implies it is the practice of  moving a company’s supply chain offshore for the purpose of reducing cost. Globally Conscious Sourcing is simply a more socially responsible version of Low Cost Country Sourcing. Its purpose is to guide companies in distributing 7% of their overseas materials purchasing to small-medium sized enterprises (SMEs)  in sub Sahara African nations that desperately need this business to create jobs.

Globally Conscious Sourcing is a hand-up, not a hand-out. It is the awareness that there are many capable low cost producers producing high quality goods in some unimaginably poor places around the world. Providing them with the chance to compete in the market for low cost country sourcing business will result in job creation that will allow many extremely poor households to get a foothold on the ladder to self sustenance.