Case Study – How Dragon Sourcing Helped a European Packaging Company Unlock Sustainable Savings for Warehousing Trolleys & Carts
Professional warehousing work depends exclusively on the right material-handling equipment—especially carts and trolleys that keep fulfillment lines running smoothly. For a large European specialist in packaging equipment and logistics solutions, increasing procurement costs and limited supplier options developed the need for a smarter, global sourcing strategy.
To fight this challenge, the company built the relationship with Dragon Sourcing to find out competitive, reliable, and quality-focused manufacturers across five key global markets: India, Mexico, Turkey, Poland, and Slovakia.
Explore the case study of how Dragon Sourcing executed a structured, data-driven procurement process to uncover new suppliers, improve cost efficiency, and streamline decision-making, ultimately delivering sustainable savings on four high-demand cart and trolley SKUs worth $1.47M annually.
Project Overview
The client’s requirement was end-to-end sourcing support for four essential warehousing carts/trolleys:
- Go Cart (500 kg load capacity)
- Computer-on-Wheels (COW) Trolley
- TNS Cart (Tow Stow Cart)
- U-Boat Cart
These SKUs needed excellent manufacturing capabilities using mild steel, carbon steel, ERW steel, and cold-rolled sheets. The objective was clear:
Search, find, and recommend competitive suppliers capable of producing these trolleys with high quality and lower cost.
Dragon Sourcing’s Structured Two-Stage Approach
Dragon Sourcing developed a comprehensive sourcing methodology technique using its proprietary GSP e-sourcing platform, confirming transparency, accuracy, and speed across every step.
Stage 1: Supplier Pre-Qualification (Completed in 10 Weeks)
Demand Analysis
The specialist team worked with the client to finalize product specifications, materials, annual volumes, load capacity, and production technology needs.
Supply Market Analysis
Dragon Sourcing’s team used databases, industry networks, trade directories, and the DS knowledge base; the team identified 126 potential suppliers over the five countries.
Telephone Pre-Screening
Suppliers were evaluated based on their best criteria:
- Manufacturing capability
- Company size
- Export readiness
- ISO certification
- Interest in participating
53 suppliers passed the pre-screening stage.
NDA Process
NDA was sent for signing to all qualified suppliers.
37 suppliers have signed and moved to the RFI-RFQ phase.
RFI/RFQ Development
Dragon Sourcing has developed a balanced scorecard-driven RFI/RFQ covering:
- Business background
- Financial stability
- Production capability
- Quality systems
- CSR compliance
- Manufacturing technologies
- Certificates & client references
RFI/RFQ Administration
The necessary documents were translated (where required) and shared with the selected suppliers in this phase, followed by active telephone follow-ups to ensure participation.
Scoring & Shortlisting
For shortlisting, a structured evaluation selected suppliers across multiple criteria, including:
- ISO certifications
- CNC machining capabilities
- Welding systems (MIG/TIG/robotic)
- Surface treatment options
- Monthly production capacity
- Engineering software usage (SolidWorks, Solid Edge, etc.)
Analysis of RFI/RFQ Responses
14 suppliers responded — 13 with full RFI/RFQ and 1 with RFI only.
Dragon Sourcing checked the detailed comparative report that helped identify top-performing suppliers for each SKU.
Stage 2 (Optional): Sampling, Audits & Negotiations
After checking all the details, Dragon Sourcing recommended next steps, including:
- Sample development
- Technical & CSR audits
- Negotiation and contracting with top-ranked suppliers
This confirms both cost competitiveness and risk-free supplier onboarding.
Key Insights From the Analysis
Country-Level Supplier Strength
The strongest responses came from:
- India – Prior manufacturing capabilities across sheet metal fabrication, CNC machining, robotic welding, powder coating, etc.
- Turkey – Good production capabilities and engineering systems.
Significant Cost Savings Identified
Price benchmarking revealed that many shortlisted suppliers offered their capability in lower FOB prices than the client’s current purchasing levels across all four SKUs, demonstrating immediate cost-saving potential.
Supplier Capability Evaluation
Top suppliers scored highly in:
- Robotic MIG welding
- Laser cutting technology
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 45001 certifications
- Integrated CNC machining
- Strong monthly capacity (up to 7000+ carts per month)
Project Outcome
Dragon Sourcing successfully delivered:
- Searched and found 126 suppliers across 5 countries
- 53 suppliers passed pre-screening
- 37 suppliers signed NDAs among them
- 14 suppliers submitted complete responses
- Comprehensive cost comparison for all SKUs
- Objective supplier ranking and recommendations
The client had confidently moved forward with sampling, audits, and negotiations with the most competitive, technically capable suppliers.
Conclusion
This case study mentions the power of a well-structured global sourcing process. With the help of Dragon Sourcing’s expertise, tools, and international networks, the client gained:
- Access to qualified suppliers worldwide
- Significant cost-saving opportunities
- Improved transparency in supplier selection
- A reliable roadmap for supplier audits and final contracting
For organizations operating in warehousing, logistics, or industrial manufacturing, global sourcing is not just about cost; it’s about quality, capability, and long-term supply chain resilience.
Download the Case Study:
Warehousing Trolley_carts_Case Study:
Author’s Bio:
Pankaj Tuteja
Head of Operations – India
https://www.dragonsourcing.com