Sourcing decisions look tactical until they aren't. The wrong manufacturing partner, the wrong contract manufacturer, the wrong logistics provider — each of these can quietly shape the business for years. We bring a structured process to a decision that often gets made by relationship default.
When clients come to us
When a new product line needs a manufacturing partner outside the home market. When an existing supplier base has concentration risk that the board now wants to address. When a board has approved nearshoring or restructuring of supply but the operational team does not yet have a credible candidate set. Often when supplier audits have surfaced issues in inherited relationships.
How we work
A senior advisor agrees the sourcing brief with operations and finance — capacity, quality, certification, financial standing, terms. We build a candidate set from current relationships in our three corridors, lead the qualification process including site visits where required, and support contract negotiation. We do not earn placement fees from suppliers.
What we deliver
- Sourcing brief with non-negotiable criteria
- Qualified candidate set with site-visit notes
- Supplier financial and capacity due diligence
- Reference and certification verification
- Term sheet and contract negotiation support
- Onboarding plan and quality framework
Typical engagement
Sourcing engagements run three to nine months depending on scope and number of categories. On our side, a senior advisor leads with one operations specialist. On the client side, the COO or head of supply is the principal counterpart, with finance and quality involved at qualification points.
Why CGLA
Our advisors sit inside the supplier ecosystems of EU and UK, which means the candidate set is built from current knowledge, not a database. The recommendation is independent of any supplier relationship — we do not take fees from the firms we shortlist.
