Notes on Guerrilla Sourcing - Principles and Practices

When it comes to finding suppliers, we usually look online from our desks in our comfortable offices. But there's a new and exciting way which I call; "Guerilla Sourcing" that takes a different path. This approach is particularly valuable in regions like Vietnam where manufacturers often have a limited online presence. Instead of sitting indoors, this approach encourages us to go out into the real world, specifically to Industrial Parks, to discover potential manufacturers. Let's explore what Guerilla Sourcing is all about, and how it can bring unexpected benefits, especially in a country like Vietnam.

A Different Way of Looking: Guerilla Sourcing is quite unlike the usual method of searching for suppliers online. It's all about stepping out of our comfort zones and physically visiting places where factories are located. During these visits, we take note of the names of factories we come across. On average, we find about 200 different factories during each visit. Later, back at the office, we use the internet to learn more about these factories and find the right people to contact.

What We Found: Our experiences with Guerilla Sourcing have shown an interesting trend. Even if only a small portion, say 10%, of the factories we record turn out to be relevant to our needs, it can lead to big results. This means that from just one visit to an Industrial Park, we could identify around 20 potential suppliers that could be a good fit for us. After doing some more detailed research, we usually end up with about 2 suppliers that have the right capabilities for our business. If you consider more than 350 different industrial parks to visit in entire Vietnam, opportunities are abundant.

Why It Works, Especially in Vietnam: Guerilla Sourcing stands out because it's a bit unexpected and different from what everyone else is doing. In countries like Vietnam, where the online footprint of manufacturers is small, this approach becomes even more significant. Many manufacturers in Vietnam operate without a strong online presence, making them difficult to find through traditional online searches. Guerilla Sourcing's method of physically visiting factories becomes an effective way to bridge this gap and uncover potential suppliers that might have gone unnoticed otherwise.

What This Means: Trying out Guerilla Sourcing can add a fun twist to the usual supplier search, especially in regions like Vietnam. By stepping outside our usual routines and embracing this adventurous approach, we can find new partners that we wouldn't have found online. This can help our business by giving us more options and reducing risks, all while addressing the challenges posed by limited online visibility.

Guerilla Sourcing introduces a refreshing way to find suppliers by getting out there and exploring. It breaks the mold of traditional sourcing methods and opens doors to unexpected opportunities, particularly crucial in places like Vietnam. As we continue to look for creative ways to improve how we find suppliers, Guerilla Sourcing's unique approach demonstrates its potential to uncover hidden potential and forge valuable supplier partnerships, especially where the online landscape remains uncharted.