Immediate resi
It is very important to get buyers (and other key stakeholders) on-board before launch of a new China Sourcing office.
➡️ The Situation:
Buyers at the home office had built success through direct China supplier relationships and took strong personal pride in their hands-on sourcing approach.
➡️ The Change:
The company announced a new China sourcing office to accelerate development and improve outcomes.
➡️ The Reaction:
Immediate resistance from buyers who perceived a loss of control over supplier relationships and sourcing decisions.
➡️ The Solution:
→ Positioned the China team as “your eyes and ears on the ground,” not replacements
→ Buyers retain all strategic, customer-facing decisions
→ Clear role separation: sourcing team handles daily operations, buyers drive top-to-top strategy
→ Preserve existing buyer-supplier relationships while adding speed and local expertise
Buyer buy-in was achieved.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧:
The best supply improvement strategies fail without buy-in. When launching a new sourcing office, communicate plans in advance and get key stakeholder buy-in before launch.