This project tasked Dragon Sourcing to identify and recommend new potential competitive suppliers of Tinplate in China and Japan. Once we got the project, we focused on supplier pre-qualification, involving structured steps to identify and evaluate potential tinplate producers. The process began with a detailed demand analysis, where our team worked closely with the client to clearly define and understand the product specifications and supplier profile requirements. Next, a supply-market analysis was conducted to identify a long list of potential tinplate producers in critical countries. This analysis utilized a variety of sources to identify 54 suppliers.
Once we identified potential suppliers, we conducted telephone pre-screening to reduce the number to 27 for the RFI process. The next stage was developing a detailed RFI (Request for Information) document and a balanced scorecard. The RFI we designed aimed to pre-qualify the capabilities of tinplate producers, focusing on aspects like local language proficiency, experience with local market customers, expertise in manufacturing food and beverage cans, GFSI certification, and export experience to the EU, US, and Latin America. Suppliers who passed the pre-screening were subject to the RFI process, with the client validating the RFI template that Dragon Sourcing had created.
Only 10 responded to the RFI/RFQ, 7 responded with only an RFQ, and all 17 suppliers provided quotes for 6 items in various terms like EXW, FOB, and CIF. Ultimately, 7 suppliers were recommended for the next steps, considering price, RFI responses, and capabilities. The project concluded with a comprehensive report detailing the reasons for rejection during the prescreening and RFI processes and confirming that all suppliers could provide the required services in the target countries. Initially scheduled for 9 weeks, the project was extended to 11 weeks, with weekly progress reports provided every Friday.