Supply Chain Management: Sourcing and Contract Manufacturing

India and China have traditionally offered Western companies a limitless number of suppliers for all kinds of consumer and industrial products, and while conditions there have changed, several Southeast Asian nations have more recently offered contract manufacturing services more cost-effectively.

India and China have traditionally offered Western companies a limitless number of suppliers for all kinds of consumer and industrial products, and while conditions there have changed, several Southeast Asian nations have more recently offered contract manufacturing services more cost-effectively.

As companies adopt China+1 and other supply chain strategies to improve resilience and manage risk, sourcing and contract-manufacturing decisions in Asia have become increasingly complex. These services support organisations in identifying and qualifying manufacturing partners beyond single-country dependency, applying a structured approach aligned with product requirements, volume expectations, and operational constraints. The focus is on building reliable sourcing options that complement existing supply chains while enabling scalable, production-ready alternatives within selected Asian markets.

Supply Chain Management Process: Our 3-E’s

Evaluate

From Market Potential to Supply Side Feasibility

Success in Asia requires careful preparation. While market opportunity is essential, manufacturing and supply conditions ultimately determine whether an opportunity can be realised in practice. Cost structures, supplier maturity, operational risk, and compliance readiness vary widely across Asian markets and must be understood before decisions are made. The Evaluate stage focuses on determining where production can be executed competitively, reliably, and at scale, providing a supply-side foundation for market entry decisions.

Our Service Modules

This service is designed for companies that require a clear, comparative understanding of manufacturing options across Asia before committing to a production location.

The assessment focuses on:

  • Comparing manufacturing ecosystems across key Asian countries
  • Analysing cost structures and price competitiveness at market level
  • Evaluating capacity availability and scalability
  • Assessing lead times, minimum order quantities, and execution risk
  • Reviewing ESG and compliance readiness at supply-market level

 

The outcome is a fact-based recommendation on which sourcing and production markets best support the company’s product, volume, and growth objectives.

  • Differences between the choices (Generic)
  • Location
  • Cost structure
    • Capex/opex, 5Y/10Y/20Y
    • Land cost
    • Building costs
    • Company+staff costs (est. future)
    • Monthly costs
    • Setup time
    • Stakeholders
      • Pppc
      • Lawyers
      • Accounting
      • HR
  • Logistics
  • Routes
  • Partners
    • Industrial parks/zones
    • Industrial pools
    • Availability
      • Big Industrial zones
      • Remote areas with incentives

Enter

From Strategy to Factory Level Execution

Once market entry strategy and commercial direction are defined, success depends on the ability to translate plans into working production relationships. Supplier selection, factory validation, and early production execution are critical at this stage. The Enter phase focuses on validating manufacturing partners and production processes before scale.

Our Service Modules

This service supports companies in identifying and qualifying manufacturing partners that align with technical requirements, quality expectations, and production volumes. The process focuses on:

  • Structuring the supplier landscape through longlisting and shortlisting
  • Assessing factories based on technical capability, quality systems, and capacity
  • Coordinating sampling and pilot production to confirm suitability

This service provides a practical, execution-focused assessment of factory readiness, supporting informed supplier selection beyond desktop evaluations.

The assessment focuses on:

  • Manufacturing processes and production technologies
  • Quality management systems at operational level
  • Capacity reliability and workforce stability
  • Production planning discipline and lead-time consistency
  • Compliance readiness aligned with buyer standards and operational practices

This service supports controlled execution during early production phases, where operational risk is highest.

The process focuses on:

  • Managing trial orders and pilot runs
  • Validating production processes and quality benchmarks
  • Aligning operating procedures between buyer and factory
  • Identifying and mitigating first-order production risks

This service supports companies considering dedicated production capacity or own-factory operations.

The assessment focuses on:

  • Selecting sites based on labour availability, logistics access, and infrastructure
  • Evaluating industrial zones and factory buildings
  • Assessing utility readiness, including power, water, waste, and compliance requirements
  • Supporting layout planning and initial production readiness
  • Coordinating with local contractors and service providers

Expand

From Initial Success to Scalable Operations

As manufacturing volumes increase, maintaining performance requires disciplined operational management and ongoing oversight. The Expand stage focuses on supporting stable, scalable manufacturing operations over the long term.

Our Service Modules

This service supports companies as production volumes and supplier networks grow. The focus is on:

  • Coordinating ongoing production activities
  • Managing multiple suppliers effectively
  • Supporting cost optimisation and capacity scaling initiatives

This service supports consistency and reliability as production scales.
The focus is on:

  • In-line and pre-shipment quality inspections
  • Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) implementation and follow-up
  • Ongoing performance monitoring to support quality improvement and operational efficiency

This service supports companies that require an on-the-ground operational presence without immediate legal entity establishment.
The focus is on:

  • Providing Employee of Record arrangements
  • Hosting sourcing, quality, or operations personnel
  • Supporting day-to-day execution during market establishment

This service supports companies seeking a simplified manufacturing execution model under a single operating framework.
The focus is on:

  • End-to-end coordination of sourcing, production, quality control, and logistics
  • Managing execution across multiple suppliers
  • Providing clear accountability for manufacturing operations

Asian Insiders offers four core services – Market Entry, Supply Chain Management, Operative Services, as well as a range of supplementary services that vary by target market.

Leonhard-Wolfgang Lahnsteiner

Business Area Director Corporate Development
 – Bibus AG

“We have collaborated with Asian Insiders across several Asian markets mainly in the field of market analysis and identification of potentials in the course of our strategy execution. In most of these markets, our sales efforts depend heavily on close cooperation with our subsidiaries and distributors which requires a strong understanding of opportunities. Through our partnership, we have further strengthened our commitment to the Asian region, and the outlook is very promising. We also now have a much deeper understanding of the market landscape and competitive environment. Especially to be highlighted is the professional and effective approach offered by Asian Insiders. Their handling of the topics we had along with their services and methods are truly distinctive.”

Susan M. Shen

Sales Director
 – Lytron Inc.

“Chris’s team’s knowledge, skills and service were invaluable to us as we started our journey into sales and eventually manufacturing in China. You supported us in finding technically astute salespeople, locations for a possible factory in China, and appropriate personnel to manage the China business. In addition to the infrastructure you have to support a sales team, we also found your team to have insight into the Chinese culture and business climate that supported our business as we grew. The knowledge and expertise provided allowed us to expand our business into China even though we had no direct knowledge ourselves of the local culture and business climate.”

Tiina Mikkonen

Senior Advisor
 – Helsinki Partners

“We partnered with Asian Insiders in Korea to organise an investment promotion event for Helsinki Partners. Together, we held seminars and conducted numerous successful company visits. Working with the Asian Insiders team was easy and effective, thanks to their extensive network and knowledge of the business environment in Korea. We’re very pleased with the results and look forward to our continued collaboration on upcoming projects in Korea.”

Jussi Vanhanen

Chief Market Officer
 – Kempower Oyj

“Kempower wanted to strengthen the presence across Asia. In approaching this goal, we realised that we simply didn’t know enough about the various Asian markets. After a survey of our options, we invited Asian Insiders to research and advise on ten specific Asian markets simultaneously. Asian Insiders, present in each of these markets, was able to provide a comparative assessment covering opportunities, market maturity and other Kempower-specific metrics. Following the successful delivery of this assessment project, we continue to work with Asian Insiders in specific markets for market access and development. We are very pleased with their work and can wholeheartedly recommend Asian Insiders to any technology companies looking to develop their Asian markets.”

Antti Turja

Director, Global Sales & Marketing
 – Nordic Lights

“Asian Insiders has helped us to grow our sales in Vietnam since 2017. Developing business in a new market is never easy. For our company, it was even more challenging as the potential in Vietnam was in a segment we were not familiar with. Asian Insiders local team successfully helped us to sell more in Vietnam, I can highly recommend their services!”

Simon Seward

EVP, Human Health & Nutrition
 – Aker Biomarine

“Axel Blom and his team at Asian Insiders assisted us opening up in the Thai market. Obtaining a Foreign Business Licence can be quite challenging, but through the support and guidance we received, we were successful and Thailand has become one of our best performing markets globally. We are now expanding into new business segments in Thailand and Axel Blom and his team are a vital part of these plans.”

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