eyeforprocurement 2008 Sourcing in Low-Cost Countries Report Just Released

eyeforprocurement 2008 Sourcing in Low-Cost Countries Report highlights many problematic issues that companies must tackle in order to get the best out of their sourcing operations in low-cost countries.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) May 2, 2008 -- In the current economic climate of spiralling costs and intense competition in almost every market segment, the question facing procurement executives is not whether to source goods and/or services from low-cost countries, but what to source, how much of it, and when to start.

In an effort to establish the degree to which goods and services are currently being sourced in low-cost countries, eyeforprocurement conducted the Sourcing in low-cost countries survey during March and April 2008.

Based on the responses of 180 procurement professionals to the survey and comparing this data with similar surveys conducted in 2007 and 2006, it is evident that while sourcing in low-cost countries is certainly a viable proposition, there are still a number of issues that are sometimes not apparent at the outset.

More than half of the survey respondents said that the biggest obstacle to sourcing in low-cost countries is immaturity of suppliers. Trade regulations (38%) and government regulations (27%) are less of a problem this year, although "cultural differences" appears to be a growing issue.

The three major risks when sourcing in low-cost countries are unreliability of delivery and quality (63% and 60% respectively) and questionable supply chain safety & security (45%). All of these issues have increased in importance since last year. Compromised efficiency (22%) and political issues (21%) remain considerable risks, although these issues are deemed slightly less of a risk than in previous years.

Despite supplier performance being an area of serious concern, 87% of the survey respondents said their companies plan to increase their sourcing operations from low-cost countries.

With regard to green and/or sustainable procurement trends, 48% of this year's respondents said that these trends most certainly affect their decisions in terms of sourcing in low-cost countries.

The eyeforprocurement 2008 Sourcing in Low-Cost Countries Report is available for download at http://www.eyeforprocurement.com/lccs_report.shtml

Much of the data gathered in this report will be discussed and debated at this year's eyeforprocurement Low-Cost Country Sourcing conferences which take place in Chicago, IL on June 25-27 ( http://www.eyeforprocurement.com/lccs2008chicago/ ) and in Prague, Czech Republic on September 16-18 ( http://www.eyeforprocurement.com/lccs2008prague/ )

The Chicago conference will bring together an unrivalled set of expert speakers. Top procurement executives from successful LCCS global giants, including Pfizer, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Hallmark, McDonalds and Intel to name but a few, will guide the delegates through the elements of successfully building and increasing their sourcing capability.

The 3rd eyeforprocurement Low-Cost Country Sourcing conference is the only event in America at which global procurement leaders show their industry colleagues how to develop a Low-Cost Country Strategy to streamline procurement processes and slash costs. That's everything what every procurement professional needs to know about LCCS in just 3 information-packed days.

New for 2008 are 5 practical pre-conference workshops brought by experts from world-renown research companies, including Archstone Consulting, AMR Research, Booz Allen Hamilton, the Hackett Group and NAFTA Opportunity Center.

Speakers at the 4th Low-Cost Country Sourcing conference in Prague include: Novartis Pharma -Head of Sourcing, Global Sites - Sammy Rashed; DaimlerChrysler - Director for Strategy & Support, Procurement Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars - Gerd Schlaich; EADS - Head of Global Sourcing Network - Philippe Advani; Nokia - Director, Marketing Sourcing INS EMEA - Ismo Ojanen; Ministry of Trade and Industry, Government of the Czech RepublicCommissioner of Minister - Robert Szurman; Siemens - Head of Global Sourcing - Miroslav Pavlícek; L'Oreal - Purchasing Manager Sourcing Center DPGP -Jerome Courtaigne. Special program includes pre-conference visists to Skoda and Siemens manufacturing plants in Prague area.

For more information on the report or eyeforprocurement Low-Cost Country Sourcing conferences contact Izabela Janecka at e-mail izabela @ eyeforprocurement.com, US toll-free 1 800 814 3459 ext 252 or +44 (0) 20 7375 7564.

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