Strategic Sourcing

Case: Case Company X

LAHTI UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED

SCIENCES
Business Faculty
Degree programme in International
Business
Bachelor Thesis Spring 2016
Kai Lee
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Lahti University of Applied Sciences

Degree Programme in International Business

LEE KAI: Strategic Sourcing

Case: Case Company X

Bachelor’s Thesis in International Business, 69 pages, 7 pages of

appendices

Spring 2016

ABSTRACT

Sourcing in a modern business is in the begining of a successful supply

chain, thus a successful business. If done right and according to a plan
sourcing becomes Strategic Sourcing with clear and defined goals. If done
according to established practice and sound theory a company can both
save money and re-invest the money saved in the sourcing strategy. With
anything a good plan should be in place.

As for sourcing if a strategy is in place then the whole organization knows

what is expected of them. The sourcing organization in a business is
where the most capital is leaving the company. This means that the
organization should work as a well oiled team with a clear goal.

This paper introduces the reader to key issues regarding strategic

sourcing in the operations department of any company. Although it
focuses on the issues from Case Company X, the theory can be for used
among any organization.The thesis will go through sourcing theory and
different models of conducting research to come up with enough valuable
information to make an informed decision while minimizing risk. Some of
the theories included are; ABC analysis, SWOT analysis, and the seven
steps of sourcing strategy.The thesis will also give suggestions on how to
build an organization for sourcing and outline methods of implementing
such changes in an operational sourcing department.

After the suggestions are given the paper will go into a case for the case
company X, in the auto parts product category, and shelters product group
to show the reader that the theory is sound and can work if implemented in
the whole organization. The product in the case was sourced over a 2 year
period and the case was based on data collected from five years of data
collected from this product category.

The conclusion helps the reader understand the whole paper and
summarizes the sections into an easily understandable whole. While
giving suggestions for further research and topics for further reading.
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Key words:

Buyer

End Consumer

End Customer

End User

ERP

INCOTERMS

Lead Time

OEM

Product Category

Product Group

R&D

Seller

Should-Cost
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Contents
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Research Background 1
1.2 Thesis Objectives, Research Questions and Limitations 2
1.3 Theoretical Framework 3
1.4 Research Methodology and Data Collection 4
1.5 Thesis Structure 7

2 WHAT IS SOURCING 10
2.1 Definition of Sourcing. 10
2.2 Procurement 12
2.2.1 Procurement Process 13
2.2.2 Standards Determination 13
2.2.3 Specifications Development 14
2.2.4 Supplier Research and Selection 14
2.2.5 Value Analysis 14
2.2.6 Financing 14
2.2.7 Making the Purchase 15
2.3 Logistics 15
2.4 Business Plan and Vision 18
2.5 Evaluating 19
2.6 Current Methods and Categorizing the Total Spend of
the Company 20
2.7 Price vs. Cost 22
2.8 Risk 23
2.9 Minimizing Risk 24
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3 EMPERICAL STUDY AND ANALYSIS 27

3.1 Data Collection Methods 27
3.2 Collecting Theoretical Data and Interviews 29
3.3 Analyzing Data and Summarizing Interviews. 30

4 STATEGY FOR COMPANY X 32

4.1 Framework 33
4.2 Formulate a Plan 35
4.3 Should-Cost 36

5 CASE STUDY 41
5.1 Determining the Problem and Coming Up With a Plan. 42
5.2 Research and Analysis of Case Supplier 301079 43
5.2.1 Focus on the Products and Suppliers That Have the
Most Impact to This Product Category and Why. 44
5.2.2 The Decision to Source a Competing Supplier. 45
5.3 Sourcing a Competing Supplier 46

6 CONCLUTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER

RESEARCH 49
6.1 Answers for Research QSuestions 49
6.2 Validity and Reliability 50
6.3 Suggestions for Further Research. 50

7 SUMMARY 52
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FIGURE 1. Deductive vs. Inductive 5

FIGURE 2. Primary research methods and techniques (Parab 2013, 6.) 6
FIGURE 3 Thesis Structure 8
FIGURE 4 Supply Chain Circle 11
FIGURE 5. Process of Procurement 13
FIGURE 6. Logistics chain 16
FIGURE 7. INCOTERMS 2010 17
FIGURE 8. Supplier analysis table 20
FIGURE 9. ABC analysis 21
FIGURE 10. SWOT analysis diagram 24
FIGURE 11. Data collection timeline 27
FIGURE 12. Raw data examples 28
FIGURE 14. Should cost analysis steps for company X 36
FIGURE 15. Year 2012 product report 42
FIGURE 16.Year 2013 product report 42
FIGURE 17. Year 2014 product report 42
FIGURE 18. ABC analysis 2014 for product group 43
FIGURE 19. Supplier analysis table Kraljic portfolio purchasing model 44
FIGURE 20. Product report 47
FIGURE 21. Supplier 301079 & 301582 47
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1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter introduces the reader to the background of the thesis and explains the
methods used to complete the research. The idea of the objectives, the research and data
collection methods are given, and research questions are presented and explained.

1.1 Research Background

The economy of Finland, and the other industrialized nations is still in a difficult situation.
Even now after almost eight years since the financial crisis started in 2008, the global
marketplace hasn’t stopped working just because of a financial crisis, people still need
products, and solutions to problems. What is bound to happen in a difficult financial system,
is that companies that want to succeed will have to find different ways of staying
competitive, even though the consumers have less spending power. With sourcing
consisting of up to 60-80% of a products end cost, (Fuchs, Pais & Shulman 2013, 1.)
companies that don’t have a strategic sourcing plan are setting themselves up for failure.

This means huge opportunities in the sourcing sector for a well-planned and implemented
sourcing strategy. It also means that failing in a plan is quantified and could mean the
demise of either the project, or worst case the company .This “buyers’ market” means that
competition among producers is greater than ever. The demand for higher quality, faster
lead times, and better shipping terms, all at a lower price is reflected directly in our
everyday products. There is less middle ground, the consumer either gets low quality for a
very reasonable price, or high quality for a lower price than even ten years ago. (GC.comm
2011, 1.).

While sourcing products is pretty straightforward, there are external risks that should be
mitigated. In layman’s terms not having all our eggs in one basket. This is where companies
should have a clear strategy and goals, instead of ordering products from local distributers
or agents just because it’s easier.

Strategic sourcing is what importers are using more and more. Instead of owning factories
or designs the flexibility of original equipment manufacturing (OEM) manufacturing is where
most modern retailers are going to. This is where the strategic part of sourcing comes from.
Instead of owning a factory, a design, or machinery and tools, the company does
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cooperation with a factory. In a way, the companies can implement the “internationalization
marketing strategy” in the sourcing strategy, explained by Svend Hollensen. This way
companies can minimize risk while maximizing flexibility. (Hollensen 2014.)

The author is currently working in a retail company in Finland, and has been working in
sourcing as a sourcing manager for the last 8 years. The author has witnessed the financial
situation in the sourcing field since 2007, and has experienced the change in strategy in
sourcing since then. The companies that the author has worked at all have had to save
money through strategic sourcing to keep their end products at the same or a reasonable
selling price. The competition is fierce and companies that don’t conform to current trends
simply fall behind and ultimately fail. The reason the author is interested in this subject is
because he believes that any product no matter how small or insignificant, if sourced in the
right manner, is the beginning of a magnificent chain of events that is called business. Thus
the author wants to make an impact at the beginning of the process as he believes that the
biggest changes can be made there.

1.2 Thesis Objectives, Research Questions and Limitations

The thesis aims to give a deeper understanding of the benefits of a strategic sourcing plan,
the risks of such a plan, and the implementation of the plan. Especially from the view point
of a case study company. The goal of the thesis is to show Company X the benefits of
strategic sourcing in the hope that the company will implement the strategy into the
everyday mission of the sourcing department and give suggestions on how such a plan can
be implemented. The goal is to apply certain knowledge without adding to the known
knowledge. (Myers 2013, 51.) The challenge in this case is getting a company that has
worked in a certain framework to change its attitude towards a new idea, in this case
strategic sourcing. Thus becoming more competitive in the saturated retail and importing
market of Finland. (Larimo 2007.)

Having a research question is an important issue when starting a research topic. The
purpose, also is to provide the reader with a clear understanding of what the research is
about and what questions the research intends to answer. With that said the research
question should answer a specific research problem. (Maxwell 2005.) In this study the
research question is:
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 How can the case company benefit from international strategic

sourcing?
Usually when we have a specific question there arise more questions thus making it difficult
to answer the original question in a simple manner. Therefore there must be sub-questions
to make it easier to explain the actual research question. (Ghauri & Grønhaug 2005.) In this
thesis the sub-questions are as follows:

 What is sourcing?
 What is strategic sourcing?
 Why is it important for a buyer to differentiate price vs. cost?
There are limitations every time research is conducted. The author will be focusing on the
Finnish international sourcing issue. Although important this thesis will not be taking into
consideration importing or market strategies for any other market other than Finland. While
most of the information and strategies can be used or implemented for other companies,
the author will focus only on case study company X for this research. This thesis will also
be discussing import strategies for Finland, but these are only to affirm the research and the
author will not be discussing them in detail. The final limitation is to focus on strategic
sourcing for the retail market of Finland specifically case company X. There are many
industries that can use strategic sourcing, however, the retail market has challenges
specific to the industry.

1.3 Theoretical Framework

The aim of this thesis is to analyze company X’s sourcing practices, come up with
suggestions on what can be done to increase productivity in company X’s sourcing
department, to help the reader understand the importance of strategic sourcing, and to help
take steps or give some insight into implementing the strategy.

The thesis will subsequently explain and touch on these issues, in the following order:

Explanations through theoretical analysis of what basic sourcing is, including procurement
and logistics. Followed by strategic sourcing and formulation a strategy while explaining the
price vs. cost issue. The research will also explain the formulation of a plan and its
importance in the whole process.
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An important part of the research is to analyze a case and understand the reasons for
making the sourcing decisions. Another part is to understand the fluid or changing
international sourcing markets and how company X and the reader can identify these
changes and use them to their advantage.

At the end of the research the case company is presented.

1.4 Research Methodology and Data Collection

There are several methods in conducting research and collecting data. The first issue is to
decide which method is the best for the research question. Taking into consideration the
question and the goal of the research. The approach to the research method is defined in
two options, deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning. The deductive method uses
theory, meaning the research and outcome is based on the general knowledge followed by
more detailed information on the research question. The inductive reasoning is based more
on the issue at hand and referring theory to the conducted research. In other words the
deductive reasoning is theory based and the inductive reasoning is finding a theory to
support an idea. (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill 2008, 486.)
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FIGURE 1. Deductive vs. Inductive

When the idea of the research is clear, then it is time to start thinking of the methods of data
collection and which methodology is best suited for the goals of the research, and the
research in question. Although there are many research methodologies the two most
common research methods are introduced here. The research methods introduced are
qualitative and quantitative.

The quantitative almost self-explanatory, is a research method focused more on statistics,

such as in large population surveys, and analysis of the results of such surveys. This
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method is good for research based on a systematic process of obtaining information about
the world such as statistics instead of theories. Usually quantitative research is presented in
numerical form and analyzed through statistics. (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill 2008, 414.)

The other research method is qualitative research. This also is mostly self-explanatory,
putting “quality” before “quantity”. The qualitative method can be chosen if your research
question begins with what, why and how rather than questions concerning quantity. This
research question doesn’t involve large surveys of population or the analysis of statistics
although statistics can be used as a source to the research. The quantitative method
focuses more on why a certain theory works or doesn’t work, or why people or
organizations behave in a certain manner. Most research incorporates both methods to
achieve the goal of the research question, but it is important to realize that one method
should dominate the research more than the other. So the researcher should determine
which method is the best for his or her research. (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill 2008, 486.)

FIGURE 2. Primary research methods and techniques (Parab 2013, 6.)

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In this research the goal is to find out how strategic sourcing can help a specific
organization in a case company and to find ways to become more competitive through
strategic sourcing. The main method of research that will be used in this thesis will be the
qualitative research method. The reader therefore can deduce that the method used in this
research will be the qualitative research method.

After the right method for the research is selected, it is time to begin to collect data. The
data collection means that information will be collected for the research project. The data
should be relevant to the research thus helping the researcher achieve the research goals.

“Data in a research project are information or evidence that the researcher gathers in order
to be able to explore the phenomenon under investigation or to prove or disprove the
research hypothesis. The data gathered allow you to build a picture on the phenomenon
under investigation” (Quinlan 2011, 5.).

In this research the primary data was collected through interviews, firsthand experience,
different government data bases such as the Finnish customs web portal, and from the
experiences of the authors colleagues currently working in company X. The purpose of the
interviews and viewpoints of the workers at company X was to identify the problems
therefore finding the research question and potential solutions. The other sources of
information, such as the Finnish customs and other regulatory agencies was to find
solutions for importing products into Finland. Another important source of information for
this thesis was secondary data. This data was collected from existing theories and research
from internet based searches as well as hard copies of literature from libraries.

The research will be conducted using a deductive approach using mostly qualitative
research. The data used will be from both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources
being interviews and experiences of people from inside the organization of company X and
from the suppliers of company X. The secondary sources will be literature mostly based on
internet searches with a few references from hard copy literature.

1.5 Thesis Structure

This thesis is divided into two main parts, the theoretical research and empirical research.
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The theoretical research is based on existing procurement strategies, laws and regulations
regarding importing and exporting, current sourcing practices, and the current buyer’s
decision making process in company X. This work will be also supported with the empirical
findings based on the writers work experience and the experience of the writers
counterparts. The final part of the thesis will suggest a strategy for company X in the hopes
that company X will begin to implement the findings of the research. The last chapter will
summarize the thesis. So the chapters will subsequently answer the questions of; what is
sourcing; What is strategic sourcing; what can buyers do to differentiate cost vs. price; a
small case study on company X; Empirical research and analysis; a suggested strategy for
company X; and finally the summary. The figure below will give better insight on the
structure of the thesis.

FIGURE 3 Thesis Structure

The introduction gives a background of the thesis and explains the methods used to
complete the research. The idea of the objectives, the research and data collection
methods are given, and research questions are presented and explained while guiding the
reader to the structure of the thesis. The second chapter introduces to the reader what
sourcing is in its most basic form. In the third chapter the reader will realize the difference
between basic sourcing and strategic sourcing for retail companies along with guiding the
reader to the idea of price vs. cost. The reader then will be introduced to a sourcing case in
the fourth chapter focusing on the strategic nature of the case. In the fifth chapter an
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analysis of the data collected in the above mentioned chapters will be conducted, which will
in turn move to the sixth chapter with the suggested strategy for company X. Finally a short
summary of the findings and suggestions in chapter 8.
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2 WHAT IS SOURCING

The aim of this chapter is to give an understanding of sourcing to the reader. What it means
and how it is used in practice. As most companies have a sourcing department the reader
will be familiarized with current industry practices in the simplest forms.

2.1 Definition of Sourcing.

Being different from buying products, sourcing is the process of finding suppliers of goods
or services for a certain need. (Pass 2006, 386). The key word in the definition is process.
Sourcing is not a single act. There is a chain of tasks that are done with the final outcome
being the procurement, in other words purchase, of the product or service. Sourcing in
essence is a part of the supply chain of any company. Also sourcing should have a goal of
keeping the costs of the supply chain as low as possible as the end consumer price has
about up to 80% of its cost in the price of the product. (Fuchs, Pais & Shulmand 2013, 1.)

Even in the most basic form of sourcing there are many approaches that can be used.
What is meant by approaches is where the idea or need for the sourcing comes from. Is it
from the R&D department, marketing department, customer feedback, or is it just simply
following trends and bringing novelty products to a certain market. In the following chapters
and case study the approach to sourcing will be arguably the most difficult and financial
risky, of following trends and bringing novelty products to market. After the need for the
product or service is established then the real work begins. The sourcing person must be
willing to research as sourcing is in the most basic form research and the subsequent
actions based on the research. The circle of the supply chain of simple sourcing is
illustrated in Figure 4. (Nye 2014.)
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FIGURE 4 Supply Chain Circle (Nye 2014.)

The research is the finding out of the need for a product or service. This is where the above
mentioned needs for sourcing come from. After it is established that the company needs a
product or service, bearing in mind that any product or service should be a solution to a
problem. It is pointless to source a product or service for a company if they either cannot
use it themselves or cannot sell the product. This is where the risk comes in, and why it is
so important to do the research before starting the sourcing process.

Now that the need for sourcing has been established, the process itself will be explained.
There is lingo in the business world regarding sourcing saying the sourcing pipeline. Figure
4 can thus be flattened out to enlighten on what is meant by the sourcing pipeline.

 Research
o R&D
o Product development or marketing
o Customer feedback or solutions for problems
o Sourcing person or team
 Source
o Establishing a budget for the project
 Is the product a novelty
 What are competitors doing with the product
o Establishing the quality needed
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o Finding the right supplier

o Logistics and government tariffs.
 Sell
o Delivering the product or service to the customer.

2.2 Procurement

Now that the definition of sourcing is established in its basic form, let’s break down the
process of procurement. The procurement process is the process of buying the product or
service without taking into consideration any other mechanisms in the sourcing process.

Procurement can and usually includes the following:

Purchase planning,
standards determination,
specifications development,
supplier research and selection,
value analysis,
financing,
price negotiation,
making the purchase
(business dictionary 2016.)

The procurement process can also be implemented in the ‘design-bid-build’ model.

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FIGURE 5. Process of Procurement (University of Bath 2016)

As might already have been determined procurement is the heart of the sourcing process
and should consume the majority of the time used during the implementation of the
sourcing process.

2.2.1 Procurement Process

Arguably the most important part of sourcing is actually buying products. Just like anything
to start this process one should have a plan. A good plan is half of a successful project.

 Creating purchasing projects

 Providing information related to the project
 Setting task priorities, start/finish dates etc.
 Setting reminders
 Control and evaluation (Business Dictionary 2016.)

2.2.2 Standards determination

Determination of what market or customer base is going to be targeted will determine the
standards of the product or service. Standards may include, but aren’t limited to quality,
material, environmental, governmental, etc.
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2.2.3 Specifications development

After the standards have been established it is a simple task to assign specifications to the
product or service needed. Specifications can be for example, size or color, material
tolerances, material grades, region of origin, etc.

2.2.4 Supplier research and selection

The standards development process will guide the buyer into the supplier research and
selection process. It is a matter of either using existing networks or doing the foot work, but
the product supply is crucial. If a product is not possible to source, which is common, then
the process must start over and have revisions done to the specifications development. The
sourcing team must keep revising the specifications until the product is possible to procure.
In this part of the process past experience and product knowledge are determining factors
in successful product manufacturing.

2.2.5 Value analysis

The systematic assessment by an organization of every detail of a product to make sure

that its cost is no greater than should be to carry out its desired effect. Or in other words a
system to create or help create product value

2.2.6 Financing

If there is no money there is not going to be a product. A good business has their own
financing structure in place for projects. This is where strategy in sourcing becomes
important. Usually financing is in place before the project begins, either through a
company’s financial department or the sourcing organizations annual budget. (Sloman and
Hinde 2007, 1-280 G:8 G:17.)

Price Negotiation

For inexperienced people, price negotiation is probably the most frightening aspect of the
whole sourcing process. However, with a good knowledge of the product or service,
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knowledge of the culture and negotiation tactics used, knowing what authority the
negotiator has (on both sides of the negotiation), and a good plan, negotiations should go
smoothly. There should be emphasis on planning ahead of time for the negotiation and all
authority should be given to the negotiator. Especially the authority to decline completely. In
this case the process goes back to the supplier research and selection. (Gesteland 2002,
15-31.)

2.2.7 Making the Purchase

Arguably the easiest part of the procurement process is making the purchase. This is in
essence the conclusion of the procurement process. The difficult issue on making the
purchase is when either the sourcing organization or the buyer becomes too comfortable
with the supplier. This is where a company sets itself up for losses due to sourcing and
where strategic sourcing becomes more important.

2.3 Logistics

Briefly on logistics and its relevance in the sourcing process.

Logistics: Is the planning, control and execution of the procurement. Logistics takes over
after the product has been purchased. This includes moving the product from the supplier’s
facilities to the buyer’s facilities. In this case the buyer is the company not a person. The
goal is to allocate the right resources at the right time to achieve the most cost effective way
of getting the product to the end customer from the supplier. (Business Dictionary 2016.)

To understand logistics in sourcing can make a company make or break the target price
point for the product. The sourcing personal must understand the logistics chain and be
active in the process. There are many factors in the logistics that constitute costs on the
product. These could be, but are not limited to, your logistics agent, raw material cost (fuel),
port of origin, region of origin, destination, delays, labor strikes, etc. These factors should
be taken into consideration as the decision to purchase and pay for the product has already
been made. The logistics chain can be broken down, especially for international logistics
into the following figure 6.
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FIGURE 6. Logistics chain (Waters 6 2003)

Raw Materials

This paper is limited to explaining sourcing of tangible products so the explanation of

figure 6 will be focused on items 3-7. That being said all products start from
somewhere. To have a good plan and negotiation the purchaser or company should
have a good understanding of raw material prices and trends. These can have a huge
impact on the final price and can change on a daily basis depending on the product. A
good example of a product that is usually fixed to raw material prices is plastic
products and oil prices.

Suppliers Supplier, and Supplier

It is important to know the origin of the raw materials and different components used in the
end product. A lot of time the supplier will outsource some of the production to a different
company. In the western world it is very important to know where the products are made
and under what conditions they are made. This will ensure strict quality control and will help
out later in the logistics chain. The supplier is key to the logistics equation. They should and
will produce a product for any customer according to the rules of their contracts. It is
important during the negotiation to talk about the logistics chain and set ground rules or
agreements. For example, having the products tested according to standards set in the
destination country or the end users region. Also being able to prove that they produce
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products according to the ethical or moral rules of the purchasing company. It is also
important to establish at what point ownership of the product will change from supplier to
any other party and under what circumstances. An easy way to determine this is through
the internationally recognized Incoterms. Incoterms can be easily understood by the
following figure 4. (Hollensen 2008, 78.)

FIGURE 7. INCOTERMS 2010 (Yusen logistics 2016)

This paper is limited to explaining sourcing, however it is important for the people in the
organization to understand what these terms mean and when they should be used. This will
be left for the reader of the thesis to research him or herself. Basically Incoterms mean
when and where the product is owned and insured and who is responsible for the product.

Product and Sourcing organization

Once the product is determined and bought, it must be moved to the ownership and
physical place of the sourcing organization. This is where a sourcing organization has
options of either owning their own warehouse or sales facility, or working as an agent or
distributer and using other facilities to keep the product before the end user.
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End Customer

The end customer is arguably the most important part of any business. However, once the
product is in the end customer’s ownership the sourcing chain starts over. The only reason
sourcing organizations are interested in the end customer is to get feedback on the
products or services to improve their next procurement chain. The end customer is the main
focus of the marketing department. That being said the marketing and sourcing
departments should work hand in hand to develop products or services that suit their
business plan and target consumers. (Kleinsorge, 2006.)

What is Strategic Sourcing?

The aim of this chapter is to introduce strategic sourcing to the reader. The aim also is for
the reader to understand the difference between simply sourcing and strategic sourcing.

A definition of strategic sourcing is:

“A method of managing procurement processes for an organization in which

the procedures, methods, and sources are constantly re-evaluated to optimize value to the
organization. Strategic sourcing, which is considered a key aspect of supply chain
management, involves elements such as examination of purchasing budgets, the
landscape of the supply market, negotiation with suppliers, and periodic assessments of
supply transactions. (Business dictionary, 2016.)

While in chapter 2, sourcing was introduced, the success of a business can be determined
on its ability to implement a working sourcing strategy that benefits the whole organization
and ultimately increases the profits of the company. Sourcing, simply is finding products
based on previous knowledge or experience where Strategic sourcing is finding products or
services that fulfill the strategy or vision of the whole company. To understand the strategy
of a business there should be an analysis of the business plan.

2.4 Business Plan and Vision

In any successful business there is a clear defined plan of what the business is going to do.
The plan is supported by a vision or mission of the organization. In strategic sourcing the
deciders must have a clear understanding of what the company intends to do and how they
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intend to incorporate all departments into the mission statement. This is where strategic
sourcing must begin.

Business Plan

Shortly defined what the business is going to do, what kind of strategies is it going to use,
what threats and opportunities are there. The plan also states how the company is going to
achieve the goals and serves as a compass for the business. The business plan can be
modified periodically to achieve new goals and growth.

A sourcing organization should also have their own business plan that is closely related to
the company’s business plan. Without a plan the strategic sourcing becomes product
procurement. (Business Dictionary, 2016.)

Just like a business plan can and should be evaluated so should the sourcing business plan
be periodically evaluated and revised. This ensures that the organization is constantly up-
to-date and flexible. Once the business plan of the sourcing organization is determined the
mission should be evaluated. The mission should take into consideration the ethics and
norms of the region being targeted, also the mission must have a desire to add value to the
company.

Once the goals of the sourcing organization are established through the plan there can be a
conscience effort of implementing the sourcing strategy.

2.5 Evaluating

After the vision and plan are in place, evaluating the current sourcing procedures is where
any sourcing strategy should continue. What are the current methods of procuring products
and services, do the employees have the proper training and tools to implement a new
strategy, what are the personal affects if a new strategy is implemented. How can the
company reduce the backlash of implementing something new to an established
organization? These are all questions that should be asked. To change something there
should first be a reason to change it. (The seven stages of a sourcing strategy, 2011.)
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2.6 Current methods and categorizing the total spend of the company

While analyzing current methods used in the company, eventually the total spend, if not
already, is classified into spend categories. The two main categories are “direct” and
“indirect sourcing”. Direct sourcing is used to generate revenue, and indirect sourcing is
classified under overhead cost. After it is determined which sourcing category is in question
the total spend for that category must be allocated to product groups then to the persons
responsible. (berkx.com, 2013.)

Making a good sourcing strategy, especially in the case company X a retail company the
product group owners should be aware of all of the products in their range of expertise and
by glance should be able to define why such a product is in their range and why it was
sourced from where it was. Figure 8 shows one of the ways to discern which suppliers are
important and which not. This helps in the ABC analysis of a products category thus helping
the sourcing personal making decisions on which products or suppliers to keep and which
products or suppliers to get rid of.

FIGURE 8. Supplier analysis table (The seven stages of a sourcing strategy 2011)

ABC analysis and results in the sourcing strategy

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As mentioned in the above section, an ABC analysis of product group must take place to
have a successful sourcing strategy. Especially when dealing with large amounts of
products and international suppliers. (Collignon & Vermorel, 2012.)

The ABC analysis is where the products and suppliers are categorized into groups
depending on their importance to the business. Where around 90% of the products or
suppliers will fall into the B and C category. The B category taking 20% and the C category
taking 70%. A maximum of 10% of the products or suppliers fall into the A category. The
categories are determined through a strict analysis of the total revenue or importance to the
company. Figure 9 illustrates to the reader the basics of an ABC analysis.

FIGURE 9. ABC analysis (Collignon & Vermorel 2012.)

With the ABC analysis done the company or product group owner can focus on what
products or suppliers are important. Looking at figure 9 one can establish that 70% of the
revenue came from group A and 70% of the products or suppliers fall into group C While
group C is generating the least amount of return. Thus inevitably group C will take up most
 22

of the time of the sourcing organization and where the important and majority of the time
and resources should be allocated to group A.

One of the largest issues in the empirical research was that the personnel didn’t have
enough time and resources to concentrate on group A of the ABC analysis. This is due to
the fact that the majority of the products, thus suppliers are in groups B and C. The problem
arises with the majority of the suppliers taking up most of the time with continuous product
information issues and customer relation issues. The evidence points to the conclusion that
this effect is due to the suppliers in group C are usually smaller and the company, in this
case company X to them is a large and important customer while the opposite is true for the
buyer. This results in frequent and mostly unwanted correspondence with the sales persons
of the suppliers company. It is important for the buyers and sourcing organization to realize
this effect and be able to mitigate it in a way not to risk the value or perceived value to the
end consumer. With the individual costs of the products in groups C and B being on
average higher than the products in group A, regardless of the purchasing price, it begs the
question of the difference and importance of price vs. cost.

2.7 Price vs. Cost

Purchase price is simply the actual price paid for the products or services. Purchase price is
all too commonly confused with the purchase cost. As the price of the product is simple to
determine and the definition is easily understood this section will focus more on the cost.

Cost is a term that can be defined by the whole sourcing process explained in chapter two.
The final cost of the product or service includes all aspects of sourcing thus is the key factor
for utilizing a sourcing strategy and exercising strategic sourcing. From the overhead costs
of the purchasing company to the price of the product and subsequent actions involved in
getting the product to the end consumer. In business a cost can also be defined as but not
limited to, a monetary valuation of the combination of effort, material, overhead, risks,
logistics, and gained or lost opportunities. (Business dictionary, 2016.)

As effort, material, overhead and logistics have already been discussed in chapter 2, the
rest of this chapter will focus on risks and gained or lost opportunities.
 23

2.8 Risk

Risk is always present in business. However, risk, just like luck, can be either good risk or
bad risk. To determine a good way to minimize risk one should have an established
process of analyzing when to take a risk or when not to. Companies not willing to take risks
are usually doomed to failure, making it important to be able to recognize what good risk is
and what is not.

In a way all risk is the same, which is counter intuitive to the above paragraph. To make
bad risk into good risk the risk should be a conscious choice made by a well-informed
sourcing individual or organization. To be able to make the determination a certain process
should be used. In this section one process will be explained. The reader should know that
this is not the only process although it is effective. The process should be familiar to all
companies, especially internationally active ones. Which leads to the SWOT analysis and
method of minimizing risk. While the SWOT analysis is effective it doesn’t paint the whole
picture of making an informed decision it only leads one to make opinions based on the
knowledge at hand. This being said, after the SWOT analysis is done then the sourcing
person or organization should research further based on the conclusion of the SWOT
analysis. (Discovery Research Group, 2014.)

Figure 10 shows the structure and informs the reader of what a SWOT analysis is.

S
 24

FIGURE 10. SWOT analysis diagram (Discovery Research Group 2014)

When looking at the SWOT diagram there are internal and external factors. Generally
internal factors are but aren’t limited to factors under the control of the organization or the
person making the SWOT analysis. The external factors therefore are as stated, external.
Meaning outside the realm of control of the analyzing party(s).

2.9 Minimizing risk

If your product, service or idea falls more into the harmful side, then it should be
determined what can be done to reverse the issue and make it into a positive aspect. If
after doing enough research, it is determined that the harmful side of the analysis is
overpowering, then the project or process should be discontinued. This brings us to one of
the most difficult parts of sourcing, which is being able to decline an offer, product, service
or anything else. There are many theories of human psychology on this subject. After
research it has been widely acknowledged that it boils down to human nature and the
difficulty of relinquishing something that has already been invested in. Either in time,
money, or resources. The dangerous thing for a business is that usually a good sales
person is aware of the human reaction of being uncomfortable saying no resulting in what
sales people call easy sells. The so called easy sells are the ones that are most costly to
 25

the buyer, either due to buying a bad product, losing face, or losing future opportunities.
(Clay 2013, 34.)

Opportunities

Not to be confused with the SWOT analysis opportunities, the opportunities in this section
will focus on what can be achieved through good sourcing practices and what happens
when opportunities are lost due to either bad decisions or bad a bad sourcing strategy. Also
this will explain what happens when opportunities are gained through the implementation of
good and disciplined international sourcing strategy.

Lost opportunities can occur for different reasons. Lost opportunities are also difficult to
measure. The only thing that can be done is to measure the success of a business section,
and therefore determine if opportunities were lost or gained. Since lost opportunities are
what cost the company the most in resources. A few examples of cases that may lead to
lost opportunities can be but are not limited to the following. It is important for the reader to
be able to determine risk factors and how to take advantage of situations so the situations
turn in their favor thus becoming a gained opportunity.

Lack of experience may one of be the highest forms of lost opportunities. It is important for
the company to understand that there is a learning process involved especially for changes.
Also under lack of experience we can class the following; Personal pride and ambition are
very dangerous attributes to have in any organization. That said personal pride and
ambition should be directed in a way to benefit the whole instead of bringing glory to
individuals. Since making a plan and mission in an organization should include the whole
business, therefore all team members. There should be no one that is not working as a
team. Strict business discipline and a good business atmosphere, ethics, and discipline
bring more positive results than negative. With that said, there will always be human nature
to contend with. This is where the next threat to opportunities lies and where the threat will
cost the organization in vast amounts of resources. Any group of people have different
opinions on different subjects. It is the way that human nature works. The key to a
successful sourcing strategy is to have a good leader. Someone to bring the chaos into
order, while at the same time motivating the team towards a common goal. Bad leadership
leads to, but isn’t limited to, selfishness, no direction, incompetence, loss of personal
confidence, and/or loss of motivation, thus leading to lost opportunities. In a sourcing
 26

organization this leads to buyers not willing to take informed risks thus losing opportunities.
It also leads to the organization looking for a new leader, which they will find, but it will
divide the team. Once the team is divided there is no hope for the current leader and
rebuilding the team will take a long time. (Lustig, 2016.) On that note it should be said there
is hope. As the great military tactician Sun Tzu wrote in his book “The art of war”,

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”

This is true. How the opportunity is used will define any organization as either a
success or failure. After having a sound strategic sourcing plan and mission,
leadership is the next most important defining factor in a successful group of people.
 27

3 EMPERICAL STUDY AND ANALYSIS

This chapter will explain to the reader the data collection methods of this thesis. It will also
guide the reader into the analysis of the data. The table below shows the basic timeline of
the data collection and research.

FIGURE 11. Data collection timeline

The data collection process started in 2014 when the author of this thesis was hired by
Company X to be a sourcing manager. The author was in the process of starting the thesis
thus it served both this thesis and company X to do the research based on company X. The
First step was to collect data on how company X operates compared to industry norms.
This also included getting work experience and becoming part of the organization to get
inside information on the daily processes. It also included becoming familiar with the
software systems and ERP that company X uses to effectively be able to mine real world
data from the system. After the first year of working the author had a pretty clear idea on
the research question and how it would both benefit company X and this thesis. The author
also got valuable work experience in the field of choice for him. After establishing what the
main question or problem was, the theoretical data collection began, based on the thesis
question. Although interviews have taken place since around August of 2014, the bulk of
the interviews and empirical data was collected during December 2015 through February
2016. The final process of the data collecting was to analyze and make sense of the data.

3.1 Data Collection Methods

The author was employed by company X on other pretenses than doing a thesis for them.
This being said from the author’s viewpoint the company has a problem in their sourcing
department due to the strategy or lack thereof. After the summer of 2014 the thesis
question really began to take form. The empirical data being collected was mainly
experiences of employees and former employees of company X, which the author noted in
emails, note books, and meeting memo’s. The second part of the data collected on
company X was through the data mining in their ERP system, monthly sourcing meeting
 28

minutes, and supplier relations. Some of this raw data can be seen in the figure below.

FIGURE 12. Raw data examples (names and product names have been modified or
deleted)
Also the author has multiple notebooks full of meeting notes and correspondences that are
dated for reference. Every time the author was in contact with any other person concerning
business issues at company X the correspondence was and still is noted in a daily diary or
note book. Sometimes the notes are just date, time, and names of the parties involved, and
some of the entries take up several pages. Another good source of information is the
authors email database of company X, especially for supplier meetings along with the ERP
system data as shown in the case study chapter of this thesis.
 29

3.2 Collecting Theoretical Data and Interviews

Before searching for theoretical data the research question or at least the thesis topic was
clear to the author. This was important so the author could narrow down the scope of the
research. The theoretical data was mostly collected through internet sources as listed in the
references and proved to be extremely helpful in the data collection process. The first part
of the data was researching research methods and which method apply to this paper in a
way that is both easy for the reader to understand and helpful to the author and company X.
Research methods research included, but wasn’t limited to, a subject course at LAMK, a
lecturer from the same institute, also internet searches, and hard copy literature.

The second part of the theoretical research was aimed at finding theories on sourcing,
procurement, logistics, economics, and strategy on the business sector of company X. This
was the most labor intensive part of the research due to the amount of information that the
world has to provide on these subjects. Finding the right theories on the same subject was
found to be difficult due to the different opinions by different authors on the same data and
facts. In other words some textbooks, although quite similar, show different opinions based
on who wrote them.
The third part of the research data collection was the least labor intensive for the author due
to the daily working practices of the author. This being said, this part had the most
information so sifting through all the data was very time consuming. The author took notes
on almost every correspondence that was relevant to the daily work of the author, and took
place since May of 2014 with the exception of email or instant messaging since these
correspondences are saved in either cloud servers or the database of company X, therefore
easily accessible. Along with the normal daily notes the author conducted short interviews
of most of the sourcing team, with the exception of the sourcing director, due to either his
schedule or his unwillingness to participate. The interviews were based on three basic
questions which are as follows:

 What is the sourcing strategy that you refer to when doing your daily work?
 What are the main risk factors in souring at company X and what tools do you utilize
to minimize these risks.
 What problem, if any, should be solved in the sourcing department at Company X
With follow up questions being as follow:
 30

 What are your strategic sourcing goals at your current job?

 Do you believe that you can achieve these goals with the current methods of
practice at company X

3.3 Analyzing Data and Summarizing Interviews.

The main conclusions that the author made on the interviews is that there is no clear
strategy for the sourcing organization at company X. There being no clear sourcing
strategy leads us to believe that in the worst case scenario one hasn’t been made. This
leads to the next issue, if there is no sourcing strategy then there is also no sourcing
plan or implementation of such.

The author interviewed 20 people, randomly chosen, directly responsible for the
sourcing sector. Out of these around 20% were former employees in the sourcing
department at company X. The sourcing department has around 50 employees so
almost half had some information to give thus giving the interviews good validity. Each
interviewee answered that even though there is no clear direction given to them from
management except for don’t make mistakes and buy cheap sell high, they had come
up with their own system of managing tasks. Mostly based on previous year’s sales.

What the author found puzzling was the answers to the next question on risks. The
interviewees didn’t recognize that no sourcing strategy was a risk, instead they said
things like, “I see no risk”, or other factors outside the organization or their realm of
control. Such as, government laws and fluctuating economic situations worldwide, for
example the exchange rate of the US dollar. While these are risks, they are external and
affect every business in the same way.

The next question made the interviewees pretty uncomfortable and only after assurance
of anonymity did they answer. The main problem that they saw was in their own work,
being not having enough time to finish things, and having to wear too many “hats”.
Another surprising answer was that there is little or no communication between different
departments, such as internally in the sourcing department and to other sectors such as
marketing. This causes the buyers to have to do extremely large amounts of work which
in turn causes delays. The other problem stated was bad management. The lack of
 31

leadership when needed and micromanaging. Which meant that even though they have
budgets they aren’t allowed to use them as they see fit. Almost every transaction needs
approval and they feel they don’t have the authority to make strategic decisions on their
own.

On a positive note, the buyers said that their main strategy was to increase the owners
worth through sourcing the right goods at the right time, however, most of the buyers
didn’t believe that the current organization helps them achieve this goal and they take it
upon themselves to do so. The interviews sparked a lot of debate on different internal
issues, the issue that is most relevant to this thesis that about 80% of the interviewees
stated was the lack of trust and confidence in the organization. The author has also
been in discussions with management where this issue has come up and the feelings of
the managers are lack of trust of the employees, and that the biggest problem in the
organization is “a stupid buyer”.

The author also has two years’ experience at company X and former experience of six
years in sourcing as a sourcing manager. With the research for the case study, it was
done through the daily workload of the author. The case is an example of a normal
sourcing transaction and happens on a regular basis. The data used in the case was
collected throughout the project and can be accessed through the servers on company
X and the notes of the author.

An important note worth mentioning are that most of the interviewees have no formal
training in business. With most having a high school diploma as their highest form of
education. Some don’t even have a high school diploma.

What can concluded from the interviews was that company X needs a sourcing strategy
and support and training of the sourcing staff. This is the reason the author decided on
the research questions for this thesis. The question will both help the case company in
giving them ideas, and it will also help the author by advancing in experience and
knowledge. General feeling of doing the interviews was negative and rushed. Some of
the people interviewed were glad that these questions were asked and hoped that some
change will come to the organization.
 32

4 STATEGY FOR COMPANY X

As was most likely perceived in the previous chapter. The mood was quite negative
during the interviews. Something needed to be done but what and by whom. The aim of
this chapter is to come up, but in no means limit to, a strategy that can be easily
understood by all of the sourcing team with the goal of it being painlessly implemented.
To start the sourcing strategy there should be a framework in place, or basic guidelines,
which are mentioned throughout this thesis: Find the problem or question that needs to
be addressed, come up with a mission statement, make a plan, formulated and define
the strategy, inform the organization, and follow up. Along with the theory on strategy in
the previous chapters the author will introduce a few extra ideas in the form of theories
in this chapter to make understanding the process of implementing a plan more
perceivable.

To start out it must be determined what the pros and cons currently are in company X
according to the data collected. To do this it makes sense to use a SWOT analysis. The
information in the analysis is based on both the authors observations, the meetings
(internal and external), and interviews.
 33

FIGURE 13. SWOT analysis of case companies sourcing department.

Every organization has problems. To solve these can be a team building experience
with the right steps.

4.1 Framework

The first recommendation for company X is to put together a clear organizational

structure. Structure gives members of the organization a clear goal and opportunity to
succeed. Structure also binds members of the organization together as there is no more
competition to see who belongs where. It is inevitable that structure will occur in any
group of humans. The difference in business life is that the structure, like a family should
be controlled. With the inside information and recommendations that the author has
 34

experienced throughout the two years of employment, is that the sourcing director has
too much work load, and too many direct subordinates. It would be a sign of trust if the
sourcing director would be able to delegate some of his work load while building a new
structure in the existing organization. The CEO of the company has a lot of opinions
directed directly at the sourcing team, stepping over his direct subordinates. This
confuses and divides the team, making some loyal to the CEO and others loyal to the
sourcing director. It also makes the team find their natural leader who can potentially
have a negative effect on the organization as a whole. The recommendation to the CEO
is to trust the new structure and his direct subordinates and not to undermine them
(Nagy, 2015).

After a clear structure is in place, a clear mission statement for the sourcing organization
should be stated. A mission statement is short and to the point and is no more than one
paragraph long. It gives the organization something to focus on it also states what you
do, and why you do it. In difficult times it should be inspiring and should instill confidence
and a sense of meaning to the team. Without a mission statement the organization risk
coming off track and makes it difficult to discern which path to take. All fortune 500
companies have clear mission statements. It is not a matter of if a mission statement
has a positive impact, the track record shows that a good mission statement is a
necessity. The mission statement should answer four basic questions

What do we do?

How do we do it?

Whom do we do it for?

What value are we bringing (Hull, 2013)?

An example of a mission statement is as follows:

“Our mission is to support ABB‟s business strategy by developing and managing a

preferred supply base that enhances ABB‟s competitiveness and success of our
customers” (ABB).
 35

4.2 Formulate a Plan

Taking into consideration all of the relevant issues and responsibilities of a sourcing
department, to formulate a strategic sourcing plan this thesis will use the seven step
process, utilizing the Kraljic portfolio purchasing model as illustrated in figure 19 of
chapter four. The seven steps are as follows and briefly explained in chapter 6.

Step one: Understand the spend category

To fully understand the spend category(ies) along with the full budget and total spending
power of the category in question seems straight forward. This can lead to negative
results if the first step isn’t done properly and diligently. One should understand the
financing opportunities and why or why not the category should be allocated with a
certain budget amount. This step should be done by the sourcing team firstly as a group
and then individually as a product category. The sourcing team must understand at least
the following issues. Total history of expenditure in capital and volumes of goods, this
analysis can be done using the ABC method among others. This leads to having an
understanding of spend for each product group in any product category. The ABC
analysis should include at least total spend per product category, product group, and
suppliers. This should firstly be done on an organizational level after which can be
determined under which product category the strategy should firstly be implemented.

Step two: Research and make a supplier market assessment

As with step one this step should be done first by the team as a whole then individually
per product category. The aim of step two is to determine which supplier falls under
which category of importance. Tools used in this can be an ABC analysis and the Kraljic
purchasing model. Along with the supplier analysis this step should include a ‘should-
cost’ analysis for the most important products in the category that were determined in
step one. A should cost analysis is key to understanding the product groups thus key in
the sourcing team and should be used on a regular basis.

The should-cost analysis for company X is illustrated in the figure below.

 36

FIGURE 14. Should cost analysis steps for company X

As knowing what a product should cost is arguably the most important single thing a
sourcing professional should know, the analysis should be done fully for each strategic
sourcing decision. This analysis usually needs input from many different viewpoints,
such as engineering, product development, branding, sales, logistics, and marketing
professionals. . (Varadarajan, 2013.)

4.3 Should-Cost

The should-cost model has a few basic steps to as follows:

Input study.

The input study gives the sourcing person an insight on the rest of the analysis and
should motivate the person to understand the mechanism of the cost. Every company
understands and keeps secret their pricing methods and strategy, thus the should-cost
analysis only gives an estimate of the cost of a product. In this step one should choose
which products have enough strategic value to justify doing the should-cost analysis.
Also one should fully understand the product specifications and quality standards that
 37

apply. This includes knowing what exactly the raw materials are in the product and the
production cost or cost of the raw materials. Also knowing what quality standards apply
to the product, either internal quality standards, or general quality standards such as EN
or FDA etc.

Process Prerequisites.

One must understand the production methods used in producing the product. This is
also the last check to determine if the product is a strategic product. Here is where a
good understanding of global raw material costs come in helpful. For example oil prices
for plastic products, nickel prices for stainless steel are directly affecting the end cost
and can fluctuate on a monthly if not weekly basis, depending on the volume or
frequency of the product orders. Production methods differ from one region to another.
For example in Western countries the production process might be fully automated but
in the far-east the same product might be made by hand. This is an important distinction
to make as the cost can and sometimes will be the same in both regions. One must
have an intimate knowledge of overhead costs for different production facilities. These
also differ from region to region. Like the example before, in the automated production
process overhead costs are considerably higher, but labor costs are lower, where in the
labor intensive regions, overhead costs such as lighting and heating might be zero but
labor costs make up a considerable part of the end cost. Understanding different
cultures and labor laws helps in this process.

Cost Modeling

The first should-cost price comes in this section, however, this number should not be
used as a solid estimate. First the annual volumes of the product should be determined.
This also helps in the forecast process of sourcing as it forces the sourcing team to
understand the inventory turnover of the company. In turn it helps to determine when
and how much to order. The volumes have a huge impact on price. Usually the larger
the volumes that are ordered at one time are cheaper. A separate analysis should be
done to calculate the strategic value of either purchasing products once per term of
measurement and having it in inventory or purchasing smaller amounts on a just-in-time
basis. This step gives the analyzer insight on what region and what production method
should be used for the product, therefore giving a clear picture on which supplier to use.
 38

Outputs

This stage is where one should finally understand all cost drivers for a product and
break down the production process in detail. This is where the output of the previous
step culminate to. The break-even cost of the factory is the price that one should have at
this point. Now it is a matter of adding the perceived profit that the factory is asking. It is
important and difficult to determine a company’s exact profit for and individual product,
however it can be deduced from different sources, such as estimating the annual
turnover of the company compared to their profit after taxes. This information is readily
available and is usually public information. The product cost can be determined if the
other steps and understanding of the production process is clear as stated in previous
steps.

Reports

A should-cost analysis can be drafted in Microsoft Excel. The report should show both
the break-even cost estimate and the should-cost estimate and should include the
following variables. Region of origin, production process, production difficulty, raw
material cost, overhead cost, tooling costs, regional labor costs, perceived profit. Each
report should be filed and can be used in cost negotiations. (Varadarajan, 2013.)

Step three: Prepare a supplier survey

After the should-cost is done. The region(s) and suppliers that are capable of producing
should be clear. It is a good idea to have more than two suppliers included in the survey
for each product. The more information received about the product, the more accurate
the should-cost analysis will become. The supplier survey is basically a request of
quotation and should be sent to suppliers in different regions of the world with different
production methods. The supplier survey gives insight to the production need of the
product, the production capabilities of the supply (volumes, quality, and lead-time), and
the maturity of the supplier, which means how established the production process is to
the supplier. This is easily seen in plastic molded products. If a supplier(s) process is
immature the end cost of the product will be higher due to the cost of tooling and the
 39

production learning curve. Also this part will let one know the suppliers interest in
producing a product for the buyer.

Step four: Draft a strategy

Determine the competitiveness of the sourcing category

Now that the analysis is done, the competitiveness of the product category can be
established. If the competitiveness is within acceptable levels it must be determined if it
is within the strategy to move forward to this project. Usually every product category has
a need for improvement. This is where the sourcing department should come up with a
strategy on where to begin the strategic sourcing process. It should be done on a
departmental level due to the fact that some product categories overlap with others thus
making the different products at the same facilities increases spending power per
supplier. Once a basic outline of the strategy is done on a departmental level then each
product category should do their own strategy, while referencing the departmental
strategy.

Outline and understand the sourcing department’s willingness to cooperate

Determining the competitiveness of the sourcing category(s) also brings the

organization under scrutiny. Here is where it will become evident which product category
owners are willing to cooperate with the group strategy. Internal cooperation is crucial in
a strategic sourcing department, thus good leadership and a clear mission should be
accepted by all parties involved.

What are the different alternatives?

Determining alternatives is minimizing risk. If there is no need to change, or the cost of

making a change outweigh the benefits then it is important to outline what to do in these
cases. As each company and department are different it falls upon the leadership to
outline alternatives.

Step five: Determine which suppliers fall under what category using the Kraljic
purchasing model, ABC, and SWOT analysis.
 40

Any implementation of a strategy needs a beginning point. One way to know where to
begin is simply by doing an ABC analysis of the suppliers in the sourcing organization.
The A category suppliers should be the ones that the team focuses most of their energy
on.

Step six: Supplier/Product and Sourcing team selection

The selection of suppliers is important. This is directly related to what products need to
be sourced. The product categories should also be analyzed to determine which
products the sourcing team should start with. Again an ABC analysis of the products is
helpful. Along with determining products and suppliers, the sourcing team should be
evaluated on their professionality or lack thereof and their willingness to cooperate. Out
of this evaluation of the team, the team selection can be done.

Step seven: Communicate, Follow-up and Review.

As with any plan communication is important. Communication of the intentions of the

leadership, the strategy and what has been achieved by the implementation of such a
strategy. Without feedback the team will lose motivation in continuing a project and it will
most likely fail. To be able to communicate there should be a simple reporting method to
be able to review progress. This will help in evaluating the success of the strategy and
can be used later as a tool for determining good sourcing practices. A regular review of
the progress also will motivate the department and help each member to understand
what can be done to succeed.

(The seven stages of a sourcing strategy, 2011.)

 41

5 CASE STUDY

The case study is a good example of what can happen if the strategy suggested in chapter
5 are implemented. This case is one of many that the author is currently working on for
company X. As a case study it was decided to implement some of the sourcing strategy on
one project to see the results. After this case was done the product group owner began
implementing a more complete sourcing strategy for the whole product category.

Company X, is like mentioned in chapter one, a privately owned retail chain in Finland. The
company has many different organizations that depend on sourcing such as the retail
stores themselves, the internet shop, B-to-B sales, the wholesale department and their
internet store, and finally the company itself in the form of indirect sourcing. The company
has more than 20 buyers, and each buyer has at least one assistant. The company has an
internal term for their product group owners which is “buyers”. The buyers are responsible
for their own department, such as sporting goods, men’s or women’s clothing, chemicals,
DIY, etc. The buyer’s responsibilities include sourcing products, maintaining inventory,
marketing, sales, and anything else pertaining to their department. The company also
currently has two “sourcing managers” and a “sourcing director” along with the normal
structure of any enterprise. The sourcing managers are directly responsible to the sales
manager of the wholesale department and their main task is to source new suppliers and
product for the benefit of the whole sourcing organization.

In this case study of sourcing one specific product for company X is looking at the project
from an international strategic sourcing viewpoint. Instead of determining what needs to be
procured the case this chapter focuses on analysis, determining the problem, coming up
with a solution, finding a supplier, and ultimately sourcing the product. Thus completing the
chain of events that is defined as Strategic sourcing. For clarification purposes the ERP
system used by company X is SAP SE.

“SAP SE is a German multinational software corporation that makes enterprise software to

manage business operations and customer relations.”(SAP.)

Company X is a privately owned retail chain in Finland, with an annual turnover of around
130-140Meur. Company X has several different departments or product categories, and
each product category has several product groups. In close cooperation with the buyer, the
 42

sourcing manager determines that it is necessary to find an alternate supplier for a product
group.

5.1 Determining the problem and coming up with a plan.

In 2011 a supplier of medium size and large PVC covered shelters for vehicles was found in
mainland China. Company X started purchasing shelters on an OEM basis from the
supplier with the intent of making profit in Finland off of the products. The products were
taken into inventory in 2012 and business regarding this product group started in 2012. The
total turnover of the product in 2012 was around 24Keur with a profit margin of around 27%
as is seen in figure 15.

FIGURE 15. Year 2012 product report

It can be determined that this product is profitable and should be exploited to the fullest
potential of the organization. So the following year in 2013 the product group was continued
and was shown to grow in figure 16.

FIGURE 16.Year 2013 product report

This trend continued through 2014 (Figure 17) when it was decided through and ABC
analysis that this supplier and product group was in the A category thus being in the top
10% of the product category.

FIGURE 17. Year 2014 product report

 43

Figure 18 is an ABC analysis with 238 suppliers in the whole product category. The supplier
in question for this case is number 301079. The top 20 suppliers in this product category
are shown representing a little under 10% of the product category.

FIGURE 18. ABC analysis 2014 for product group

To analyze the data presented the total turnover for the product category in 2014 as seen in
figure 13 is around 3.5Meur. If the sum of the top 20 suppliers or in other words the top
10% of the suppliers is compared with the total sum we can deduce that the theory in
chapter 3 about ABC analysis is correct and is more than 70% of the turnover with a total
turnover for group A being 1 949 042.00€. Giving the company a strategic problem that
needed attention.

5.2 Research and Analysis of Case supplier 301079

Being true to form and having the data in hand, it was decided that the largest positive
impact for this product category could be made by focusing on supplier 301079. The
reasons this supplier was chosen for scrutiny was due to research done after the ABC
analysis and implementing the basic principles of international strategic sourcing. The
research included but wasn’t limited to. Determining the target end user, finding what
product groups in group A of the ABC analysis were viable for expansion of product range
 44

as illustrated in figure 9, Also which and why suppliers according to the illustration of figure
9 needed the most critical attention and why such attention was needed.

FIGURE 19. Supplier analysis table Kraljic portfolio purchasing model (The seven stages of
a sourcing strategy, 2011.)

Determining the End Customer

The products from this supplier had been sold both in the retail store of company X and in
the wholesale department of company X. Due to demand from the wholesale customers, it
was decided that the wholesale department will take a leading role in sales of the product,
thus increasing the sales and product range substantially. Because of the high demand for
the product it was decided to allocate more funds and resourced therefore taking care of
the financial aspect of the strategy. The main end customer at this point for company X is
the wholesale customers, basically other retail and wholesalers in Finland.

5.2.1 Focus on the products and suppliers that have the most impact to this product
category and why.
 45

The way that the products and suppliers that had the most potential impact in this product
group reflects the international nature of the business. As it is illustrated in figure 14, there
are suppliers with a larger turnover than the case supplier. The reasons that these suppliers
haven’t been chosen to change is because of the strategic nature of the suppliers. For
example supplier 200382 is a Finnish wholesaler. The strategy of not making changes to
the plan with supplier 200382 is because of the business strategy of company X and is a
strategic supplier as illustrated in figure 19.

Case supplier 301079 has a large financial impact however as has been determined by the
consecutive ABC analyses over a three year period it is low risk, thus making it a leverage
supplier. The reason it is a low risk is because of the ability to sell the products in a timely
manner. Before it becomes a strategic supplier a decision has to be made if the product
group owner wants this supplier to become a strategic supplier. The downside of a strategic
supplier is that it is difficult to change past practices and a challenge to negotiate new
terms, products, or contracts. All of this makes it a non-flexible business relationship. The
positive aspects could be that it is easy to do routine business with the strategic supplier.
During the three year period it was decided that company X doesn’t want a new strategic
international supplier in this product range making it easy to make the decision to make a
sourcing strategy based on this supplier’s product range. The decision was made to find a
new competing supplier to the case supplier as to manage the risk of the case supplier
becoming a strategic supplier.

5.2.2 The decision to source a competing supplier.

The reason it was decided to find a competing supplier was also due to market research,
the ABC analysis, a SWOT analysis, marketing feedback, and customer feedback.

The strengths of the case project thus far were as follows. Minimize risk, get leverage in
negotiations with supplier 301079, expand the product range, and maximize profit due to
lower sourcing costs. The weaknesses were at that point for the product group manager’s
unwillingness to speak English thus making it impossible for this person to find a new
supplier alone. The opportunities are laid out in the strengths, mainly increased turnover,
profits, and flexibility. The threats were determined to be only that the case supplier is
tipped off on the project before the case company X has the opportunity to implement the
 46

new strategy. To analyze the SWOT it becomes evident that the strengths and
opportunities outweigh the weaknesses and threats therefore giving confirmation that the
project is viable and should continue.

5.3 Sourcing a competing supplier

Due to the increase of sales through years 2012-14 the plan was to find a competing
supplier in the year 2015 and implement the sourcing beginning in the start 2016.

The sourcing manager begin to use resources that have already been establish such as
supplier network, global knowledge of where to find such a supplier based on but not limited
to, past experience, regional knowledge of China, research on the materials and regulations
on such materials and products in the target market. Another important piece of information
was the knowledge about the “should-cost” of the target product and product group by
making a should-cost analysis. The should-cost analysis was based raw material
commodities markets and cost, labor costs in China, knowledge of production processes,
and previous costs of the products.

After the region of the world was decided upon, the search for the right supplier in the local
region of China began. The suppliers were found from supplier databases on the internet
that were either bought by company X or free. The challenge of the databases is the
amount of raw data available and sifting through to find the appropriate supplier. After three
new suppliers were found it was time to determine which one would be most cost effective
and appropriate for the case. The sourcing manager set up meetings with all suppliers
involved, including case supplier 301079 in China. Due to the challenge of physical
distance from the target market the meetings were set up during a routine business trip to a
trade show in southern china. The suppliers were invited to the hotel that the sourcing
manager was staying at with the case supplier 301079 being the last one to come. The
important thing was to keep the meetings in a way that each supplier was aware that the
other was there, but the meetings took place separately so the schedule was so each
meeting took place one half hour apart from each other. This was part of the strategy of the
sourcing manager to keep the suppliers competitive without having to focus on price or
terms negotiations and speak about the facilities and products could be focused on. During
the meetings it became evident that one new supplier exceled above the rest and was
 47

decided there that business would be initiated with the new supplier. After all the formalities
of registering the supplier into company X’s ERP system a sample order was placed for one
20’ container of the new products from the new supplier. The new products were based on
the new suppliers existing product range and the product range of the buyer, along with
previous knowledge of market research. It was decided that the products would be different
from the original supplier 301079 but similar enough as to keep both suppliers competitive.
This way the buyer can easily keep each supplier separate while keeping control over the
product range. The turnover of supplier 301079 in 2015 can be seen in figure 20.

FIGURE 20. Product report 2015

After the meetings in China it became evident that the original supplier started to take up
too much of the group A from the ABC analysis thus giving a new reason to expand to a
competing supplier. This reason is only to minimize risk, while maximizing flexibility. This
effect wasn’t planned on, however, with the original plan and implementation being well
thought out, this is an example of a positive opportunity that wouldn’t have arisen in time if
the decision would not have been made in time.

For reference figure 21 and 22 is the data from the first two months of 2016 of the new
supplier in this case, supplier number 301582 and the “old” supplier 301079. As can be
seen the risk has been divided evenly among the two with a future projection to supplier
301079 making a turnover of over 1Meur in 2016 and supplier 301582 reaching around
200Keur in 2016.

FIGURE 211. Supplier 301079 & 301582, 2016

 48

So to conclude this chapter a good plan that is well implemented can only have good
results. This case is one of several cases that are on-going and the process of doing this is
repeated if not many times a week, then many times per month. The reason this case is
represented in this thesis is due to the fact that even though the case is still on-going, the
structure of the chain of events is clear and the data can be backed up through many years.
One limitation that is left out in this case is the positive impact of the product category due
to this case. The reason it was left out is that it requires inside knowledge, and years of
feedback of the whole product category to make any relevant sense of the data.
 49

6 CONCLUTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

This chapter is intended to summarize the research questions and provide simple answers
to the questions based on the thesis.

6.1 Answers for research questions

As noted in chapter one, there can be no solution if there is no problem. The challenge of
the paper was to inform the reader on why strategic sourcing a good strategy in the
operations department and how case company X can benefit from international strategic
sourcing. If a company is doing anything to maximize profit there should always be a plan
or in other words a strategy. The strategy should be simple enough so that the whole
organization understands what the mission is.

How can the case company benefit from international strategic sourcing?
Company X can benefit from International strategic sourcing by implementing a sourcing
strategy based on the suggestions and theory of this thesis. The tangible benefits are, but
are not limited to, lower purchase prices, lower tariffs, lower logistics costs, higher profit
margins, better quality, and better control, at the end of the day happier customers.

The sub-questions are explained in chapter two and three.

What is Sourcing?
Sourcing in business means to procure items in a cost effective way.

What is Strategic Sourcing?

Strategic sourcing is to expand on basic sourcing by formulating a strategy and having
strategic goals without focusing on product price as much as the whole supply chain cost.

Why is it important for a buyer to differentiate price vs. cost?

 50

Price is the amount paid for a good and service and cost is the amount of resources and
finance to acquire a good or service. In the case of company X, the cost can be calculated
only after the end user has bought the product and the warranty has run out on the product.
The answer on why it is important to differentiate price and cost as a buyer is because if
one is only focusing on the first cost of the product then the rest of the supply chain is
overlooked. The buyer can be misled in their initial reports but at the end of the sourcing
chain the company could be selling products for less than what it paid for them making the
whole process un-profitable thus destined to fail.

6.2 Validity and Reliability

The validity for this paper was confirmed by having the research questions addressed and
answered in full. The answers to the research questions and the theoretical research were
supported by theory found from reliable internet sources, respected commonly found
business literature and articles. The sources were either current or commonly established
theories that are not outdated. The empirical research was done during the time the author
started his career as a sourcing expert in 2008. As far as the case company goes, the
author conducted all the interviews and data collection during the two years of employment
at company X as a sourcing manager. The responsibilities of the author at company X were
and are, but aren’t limited to the following; Sourcing new factories, products, and ideas
strategically for company X, in a way to support the wholesale department and the retail
stores along with the internet store. The product range isn’t limited to only one department,
but the whole product range of the retail store. The author has the authority to negotiate
contracts, source products and factories, use the rest of the sourcing organization in a way
to benefit the company in the long term. The company X requested that the author do
research into the organization and give recommendations on change if needed in the form
of this thesis. The owner of the company has evaluated this thesis and has followed the
process from the beginning supporting the point that this thesis is indeed valid.

6.3 Suggestions for Further Research.

It is of the author’s opinion that this thesis, although complete, scratches the surface of the
day to day business operations at any medium size company. The thesis focuses on the
sourcing part of the operation of running a business. As for further research for the author
 51

and company X, it would be highly recommended to research marketing strategy and

methods. As for the reader and sourcing personal it is of the opinion of the author that
interpersonal communication skills, global cultural knowledge, and negotiation methods
should be given high priority.
 52

7 SUMMARY

As strategic sourcing is becoming a norm in successful businesses, it is more important

than ever to have a plan to implement a strategic sourcing program, especially now, after
the world is almost fully recovered from a financial crisis and the countries of the Far East
are becoming more expensive annually. (MSU. 2004) Therefore the ultimate goal of this
thesis was to enlighten the reader on what strategic sourcing is and how it can be used to
the advantage of an organization. (Global Souring Strategy, 2016.)

Throughout the study, and writing of this thesis, a deductive method was used with the help
of a quantitative research approach. It was the feeling of the author that there was enough
material, theory, and proven concepts in place that a qualitative approach would not have
given any more value or insight to this thesis. The secondary data was researched from
books, reliable internet sites, and existing theories that have been put into use by different
sourcing organizations. The primary data for the case was collected and recommendations
were achieved through firsthand experience over almost a two year period while being
employed at company X as a sourcing manager. Most of the interviews were from the first
months of 2016 but by no means were limited to these two months.

Along with the research, there were a few important concepts discussed throughout the
thesis, these being the ABC analysis, the SWOT analysis, the Kralijic purchasing model,
the seven step sourcing strategy drafted by Mr. Varadarajan, and finally the should cost
model. It is the hope of the author that these not be used as single analyses while making a
strategic sourcing plan, but as a whole to gain understanding of the complete process for
the best results.

The data collected as firsthand experience was absorbed during a two year period at
company X, four years at a small privately owned business working as an operations
manager, and two years at a globally renowned Finnish corporation as a sourcing manager.
The writing of this thesis has, therefore, eight years work experience behind it. The
interviews took place mostly over the phone and instant messaging due to the geographical
locations of the author and other team members. Some of the interviews took place as
meetings where the author didn’t inform the interviewee that they are being interviewed.
This was intentional due to the unreliability of some of the data when the interviewee knew
there was a purpose in the conversation. As most likely noticed by the reader, none of the
 53

persons interviewed were named and it will be difficult for anyone reading this to discern
who said what. This was intentionally done by the author to protect the employees from
retaliation from management.

As stated in the thesis, the case study was an example of one product group among many
that is currently being sourced at company X. The case was chosen due to the fact that the
product group is widely distributed in Finland through the wholesale department. This
makes it a small risk that someone will use the information given strategically against the
company X. It was also chosen because of the success and unintended outcomes of the
project. As was said in the organization, after the project was deemed a success, “some
things just work out”. As also stated in this thesis, these unintended opportunities can be
foreseen and in the suggestions for company X in chapter 6.This thesis lays out one
method of coming up with a system where these successes can be planned on.

In conclusion, the thesis clearly stated the research questions and subsequently achieved
the goal of answering these questions through theory, opinions of working professionals
and a case study. It is important to note that the main challenge the author had to deal with
during the research, the experience, and the writing of this thesis was to try and stay neutral
and analyze the case company through the viewpoint of an outsider. This being said it is
with the sincerest hope of the author that case company X takes this thesis seriously,
without reservations, and starts to think about why some things happen the way they do.
 54

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APPENDICIES

APPENDIX 1.

Interview Questions

1. What is the sourcing strategy that you refer to when doing your daily work?

2. What are the main risk factors in sourcing at Case Company X and what tools do you
utilize to minimize these risks?

3. What problem, if any, should be solved in the sourcing department at Case Company X

4. What are your strategic sourcing goals at your current job?

5. Do you believe that you can achieve these goals with the current methods of practice at
Case Company X?
APPENDIX 2.

SAP Report ABC analysis

Toimipistetpi A Myymälä

Lukumäärä Toimittaja: 238 LV MH

Toimittaja LV MH Liikev Mrä LV OH

Summa 3510481 EUR 500007,2 *** 2380196

200382 Motoral Oy 288233,3 EUR 58.184 KPL 189142,1
300756 APChemicals 280444,2 EUR 79.835 KPL 200385,7
200642 Ja-Tools ja Elektro Oy 263359,5 EUR 44459,1 *** 168871,2
200939 ExxonMobil Finland Oy Ab 245835,9 EUR 15.180 KPL 207667,4
300237 CHANGSHU TONGRUN AUTO
ACCESSORY 147147,9 EUR 3.464 KPL 97.184,06
200406 Osram Oy Ab 133331,2 EUR 27.304 KPL 82.503,21
201027 Kaha Oy Ab 129717,3 EUR 5.430 KPL 85.592,50
301079 TIANLI LEISURE PRODUCT
CO.,LTD 122589,9 EUR 325 KPL 76.600,48
201340 Ylinen Partners Oy 121402,7 EUR 15.180 KPL 74.155,49
200199 Berner Osakeyhtiö 113519 EUR 20.142 KPL 82.291,27
201030 S&N Osakeyhtiö 103461,2 EUR 18.936 KPL 71.144,48
201056 Telko Oy 90.101,55 EUR 14.786 KPL 58.840,63
301236 FRANKANA GMBH 84.975,62 EUR 5.255,500 KPL 60.140,96
300093 FINN-ART 80.740,36 EUR 8.110 KPL 39.736,25
200584 CRC Industries Finland Oy 77.696,35 EUR 15.671 KPL 54.318,82
200525 Wurth Oy 71.420,88 EUR 10.730 KPL 49.547,48
201233 Nordic Lubricants Oy/CASTROL 69.796,84 EUR 3.780 KPL 54.885,10
200458 Sinituote Oy 69.793,86 EUR 19.804 KPL 45.733,63
200387 Neste Markkinointi Oy 66.583,45 EUR 4.697 KPL 53.047,61
202098 MIKKO RAISKI OY 60.650,45 EUR 5.143,340 *** 37.155,24
300400 REIMO REISEMOBILCENTER
GMBH 60.579,79 EUR 2.974,450 KPL 44.522,01
200370 Maston Oy 55.758,01 EUR 8.131 KPL 31.888,66
200462 S-Taroil Oy 54.818,49 EUR 12.594 KPL 39.034,91
201776 Örum Oy Ab 50.716,38 EUR 2.569 KPL 41.123,00
202881 Brand2Star Oy 44.147,08 EUR 2.234 KPL 30.208,95
200481 Tammer-Tukku Oy 39.710,10 EUR 6.717 KPL 23.047,63
201472 Toolnet.Ltd 36.563,01 EUR 5.098 KPL 22.885,78
201501 Seab Finland Oy 32.837,09 EUR 6.405,000 *** 22.787,89
201105 Interparts Oy 31.743,96 EUR 8.757 KPL 18.733,56
201599 NM- Wipes Oy 30.257,35 EUR 7.224 KPL 19.074,58
202896 Defa Oy 22.927,42 EUR 864 KPL 18.435,09
803178 Multimarine oy 18.076,18 EUR 3.114 KPL 10.036,53
300836 LANTMÄNNEN ASPEN
PETROLEUM AB 17.575,98 EUR 1.261 KPL 13.986,91
301256 GUANGZHOU JIANGUANG
LIGHTING CO 17.575,94 EUR 1.185 KPL 9.526,76
202668 ÄLÄ KÄYTÄ/YKKÖSÖLJY OY 17.493,51 EUR 5.777 KPL 13.864,26
201182 Pakcem Oy 17.142,23 EUR 2.549 KPL 10.825,31
200419 Plastex Oy Ab 15.871,58 EUR 3.389 KPL 11.233,38
200287 Isojoen Konehalli Oy 14.698,20 EUR 1.746 KPL 10.085,06
200405 Osmonikko Oy 13.785,38 EUR 3.495 KPL 8.388,00
202797 SUOMEN SOFT PAPER 13.325,32 EUR 517 KPL 8.556,72
202335 Toolnet Elektro Oy 13.314,73 EUR 357 KPL 9.151,62
300025 FAIRVIEW INTERNATIONAL CO 13.212,80 EUR 2.585 KPL 7.878,27
301137 SAMMOON LIGHTING AND
ELECTRICAL 11.721,60 EUR 997 KPL 7.430,51
201066 Alfamer Oy 11.147,52 EUR 522 KPL 7.262,17
200771 Forestoil Oy 10.962,69 EUR 1.347 KPL 8.157,46
201871 Estecs Oy 10.859,58 EUR 644 KPL 7.258,62
803522 Scandic Trading House Oy Ltd 10.605,20 EUR 1.589 KPL 6.777,24
202658 OEM FINLAND OY 10.222,65 EUR 154 KPL 7.349,30
200183 Anglo-Nordic Oy Ab 9.671,51 EUR 2.330 KPL 5.863,18
300805 Beijing Mikrouna Mech. Tech. 9.633,82 EUR 309 KPL 6.647,41
200334 TAMPEREEN ÖLJYTUKKU OY 9.460,49 EUR 955 KPL 7.220,67
202701 JUPITER 2010 9.339,62 EUR 316 KPL 5.925,62
300977 POYA-TECH CO., LTD. 9.339,49 EUR 2.526 KPL 2.079,08
300895 MARIFIX SYSTEM AB 9.291,68 EUR 1.930 KPL 5.307,08
202717 Veise Electronics Co.,Ltd 8.897,98 EUR 77 KPL 6.371,95
200340 Lahnakoski Oy Ab 8.728,49 EUR 362 *** 6.540,57
800279 Parkanon Autovaraosa Oy 6.991,61 EUR 125 KPL 5.069,40
300333 VEROPA 6.433,99 EUR 1.967 KPL 3.989,72
200289 Javec Oy 6.080,82 EUR 678 KPL 3.566,31
301241 Gimex melamine plus Gmbh 5.830,52 EUR 1.587 KPL 4.923,58
202404 PUTTIPAJA 5.822,63 EUR 654 KPL 3.246,78
202897 StarBrite Suomi/Helsingin Hertziga 5.751,05 EUR 394 KPL 3.209,72
300161 MIKCO INDUSTRIES
CORPORATION 5.109,40 EUR 894 KPL 2.866,19
300808 Patrol Group SP. Z O.O. 4.595,51 EUR 956 KPL 3.209,40
200513 Vakiopaine Oy 4.571,12 EUR 27 KPL 3.814,15
202302 NORAMAA OY 4.557,93 EUR 203 KPL 3.193,22
201447 Alfa-Kem Oy Ab 4.495,82 EUR 1.029 KPL 2.881,20
201680 Palvelutuotetoimittaja 3.540,63 EUR 367,8 KPL 3,69
300024 SCHWAN-WERKZEUGFABRIK 3.383,03 EUR 658 KPL 1.917,63
300885 Koopman International b.v. 3.307,69 EUR 227 KPL 1.743,91
202714 EUROPAK OY 3.087,05 EUR 415 KPL 1.700,32
200574 Tukkumarket Oy 2.583,24 EUR 1.009 KPL 1.716,76
200246 Fenet 2.581,72 EUR 73 KPL 1.959,40
200891 HokkiPlast Oy Ab 2.527,82 EUR 1.914 KPL 1.296,06
202203 Orapi Nordic Oy Ab 2.483,53 EUR 334 KPL 2.226,68
300661 CREATIVE PRODUCTS
TECHNOLOGY (HK) L 2.404,34 EUR 155 KPL 1.489,00
202930 Jukka Packalen Oy 2.327,02 EUR 724 KPL 1.854,04
201539 Audioimport Group Kinnunen Oy
Ab 2.287,13 EUR 346 KPL 1.356,73
301200 FREIKO 2.027,61 EUR 57 KPL 2.121,98
202850 HP SCHOU 1.815,14 EUR 319 KPL 985,85
200668 Finntools Oy 1.770,89 EUR 499 KPL 1.652,58
201041 Kärcher Oy 1.755,01 EUR 197 KPL 1.045,73
200628 All Right 1.726,11 EUR 93 KPL 1.186,93
200364 Maritim Oy Ab 1.679,77 EUR 299 KPL 1.180,77
800018 Koivunen Oy 1.477,01 EUR 61 KPL 1.021,14
200920 ÄLÄ KÄYTÄ/Semac Oy Ab 1.115,05 EUR 199 KPL 494,21
201458 Electroplast Oy 1.009,80 EUR 97 KPL 713,93
200932 Veli Mark Oy 885,62 EUR 894 KPL 552,94
301208 ROTHENBERGER INDUSTRIAL
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202276 TERÄOSA FI OY 826,34 EUR 66 KPL 556,58
200295 Juves Markkinointi Oy 796,09 EUR 809 KPL 665,28
300014 Henkel Norden Oy 716,63 EUR 39 KPL 465,8
200551 Norrex Oy Ab 707,91 EUR 89 KPL 370,7
201087 Sika Finland Oy Ab 669,21 EUR 122 KPL 389,66
201464 Onninen Oy 626,85 EUR 69 KPL 229,77
200639 Sandman-Nupnau Oy 579,55 EUR 377,1 KPL 286,08
202005 Fischer Finland 560,94 EUR 67 KPL 431,48
200184 Arometalli Oy 549,71 EUR 23 KPL 419,01
201532 Startax Oy 544,35 EUR 3 KPL 420
200421 Plast-Team Oy 536,61 EUR 31 KPL 366,6
200496 Toolmasters Oy/Työkalumestarit 518,64 EUR 48 KPL 379,44
200379 Mirtek Oy 491,84 EUR 417 KPL 95,91
202615 PORVOON VASKISEPÄT 393,06 EUR 55 KPL 236,5
201679 Pameto 337,54 EUR 14 KPL 279,3
202068 JUHA-ELEKTRO OY 315,7 EUR 9 KPL 281,85
201717 Tukkuliike Kokkonen Oy 312,02 EUR 31 KPL 205,7
202386 KAMA FRITID OY AB 296,25 EUR 19,9 *** 189,05
202616 MOPLA OY 209,68 EUR 8 KPL 156
201103 Makita Oy 201,76 EUR 5 KPL 173,63
300919 DIEDRICH FILMER GMBH 108,6 EUR 13 KPL 43,55
201273 RemaTipTop Oy 96,8 EUR 44 KPL 94,37
300918 TEXKON GmbH 83,13 EUR 69 KPL 33,81
201722 Teho Filter Oy 46,33 EUR 7 KPL 26,06
200457 Motoral Oy Ab/ÄLÄ KÄYTÄ 44,65 EUR 17 KPL 54,22
300997 OASE Outdoors ApS 43,48 EUR 2 KPL 0
200202 Stanley Black & Decker Finland
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202336 SPINEA OY LTD 32,27 EUR 64 KPL 64,12
301107 RUIGUANG AUTO
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201398 Akro Mats&Matting Oy 11,12 EUR 2 KPL 6,4
200517 Veljekset Keskinen Oy 9,35 EUR 1 KPL 3,77
200204 Bos Oy 7,98 EUR 1 KPL 1,35
202463 REKSOL OY 7,02 EUR 3 KPL 3,15
T1001 Keskusvarasto, J.Kärkkäinen Oy 0 EUR 0 *** 0
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800675 Kuljetusliike Lauri Vähälä Oy 0 EUR 0
800183 Ollikainen Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
800081 Pelena Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
800028 Vulk-Tarvikkeet Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
301600 EXXONMOBIL
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301346 CMBRÅ Scandinavian AB 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
300791 SCHULZ HAUSHALTSWAREN
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300764 EXPO BÖRSE GMBH 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
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300595 Zhejiang Yuanzheng Auto & 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
300403 FK-Automotive Holding Co. GmbH 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
300300 S. FRANCESCO s.r.l. 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
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203107 STEEL SEAL HEAD GASKET FIX
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202990 LUMELKO OY:N
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202004 TAMMERMATIC OY 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
202003 SUOMEN
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201513 Greennet Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
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201476 Talous-Markka Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
201465 Tuontiyhtiö Marja Sundberg oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
201365 KM RRR-yhtiöt Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
201330 Havulinna Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
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201169 Malmin Nordic Group Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
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201122 Mopo Sport Saukkonen&Salomaa
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201073 Bertoc Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
201049 Tammituotteet Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
201039 Vianor Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
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200886 SOLO-INTERNATIONAL 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
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200640 ÄLÄ KÄYTÄ/NEW FORMULA OY 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
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200327 Korja-Kumi Oy 0 EUR 0 *** 0
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200232 Soutu Finland Oy 0 EUR 0 *** 0
200216 Arodos Oy 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
200211 CAMEX 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
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200187 Arwidson Oy Ab 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
200172 KONVERSIOTOIMITTAJA 0 EUR 0 KPL 0
0 EUR 0 KPL 0
APPENDIX 3.

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