Global Sourcing: Map the Future, Don’t Follow the Herd

In the stock market, by the time a bullish herd has caught onto an opportunity to buy a certain stock, it's probably high time to get out. In the world of global sourcing, one could employ a similar strategy, albeit on a different scale. The more I see articles like this from publications like World Trade, my gut feel is that it's once again time to go against convention and explore global sourcing options that might not completely add-up today, but will more than pay off tomorrow. Especially since oil prices are a leading indicator of global supplier competiveness -- both because lower prices reduce production (energy) / transportation costs and because lower prices signal a stronger dollar -- I believe that 2009 will see a global sourcing rebound. Call me a lunatic -- you might be right -- but the more local sourcing makes the headlines, the more I believe you should be placing your bets globally once again.

- Jason Busch