The “Problem” with Custom

March 25th, 2015

Over the weekend I threw a party for my now two year old son....

 

Today’s post is by Alyson Usserman, Project Manager at SafeSourcing.

Over the weekend I threw a party for my now two year old son. He loves Frozen’s Olaf, (who doesn’t?) so therefore, we had an Olaf themed birthday party. In preparation for his party, I shopped for a couple of months for the specifics; the cake, his shirt, and other decorations. His party was completely custom; there was nothing that would be considered a standard specification. His cake was a custom order, as was the shirt that he wore, both products being more expensive than a cookie cutter party.

cake

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

But how does this effect sourcing products and services?

Sourcing is a valuable resource for many companies, but what happens when there is a custom specification?

When presented a specification that is considered, “custom”, we vet it out. Is this really custom? We reach out to suppliers.  Who makes this? What is the quantity? Is it enough to engage supplier interest? How much will this custom product cost the end user? Will it be worth it for them instead of a more cost-effective approach?

These are all questions that we at SafeSourcing work through to source products. Just because a product is considered a custom item, does not mean that you are stuck with the same supplier who may be overcharging you.

Let SafeSourcing’s knowledgeable staff help you reduce costs for your “custom” products and services. For more information on how we can help you with your procurement needs or on our “Risk Free” trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative.  We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

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