Here’s a controversial opinion: Sourcing teams are using 1990s methods to solve 2024’s challenges.

Technology is transforming how businesses operate. Many operations and functions have embraced automation and smart tools for examples in B2B sales, marketing, customer service because there is value speed of delivery, quality of service, better analytics etc.

However sourcing teams are still wading through trade directories and rolodex, sifting countless email threads, and hours of manual research.

We’re tackling that head-on. At Sourcing Playground, we believe sourcing teams deserve the same level of innovation that’s transformed departments like B2B sales. With a fresh approach and advanced technology, we’re building a solution that allows sourcing professionals to cut through the noise, streamline their workflows, and get back to what they do best: building valuable supplier relationships.

So, here’s the real question: What if sourcing teams could leave outdated methods behind and finally have tools built for the demands of today?

“But Supplier Relationships Are Different…”

We hear this objection often: “Supplier relationships are too important to automate.”

Here’s the thing: B2B sales teams deal with million-dollar contracts and complex partnerships where relationships are absolutely critical. Yet they’ve successfully automated their discovery and outreach processes using technology to organise communication without sacrificing relationship quality.

In fact, they’ve discovered something counterintuitive: By automating the tedious parts of outreach, they have more time to build meaningful relationships.

We believe sourcing teams deserve the same advantage.

Think About It:

• Sales teams manage huge client relationships
• They close massive deals
• They maintain long-term partnerships
• They need trust and rapport

Sound familiar? These are exactly the elements that matter in supplier relationships too.

The Real Problem We’re Solving

The truth is, most sourcing teams have to spend time on:

• Chasing basic responses
• Manually searching for supplier information
• Managing scattered supplier information
• Copy-pasting emails
• Following up on unanswered messages
  

When they really want to be working on:

• Building strategic relationships
• Negotiating deals
• Developing supplier partnerships
• Making informed decisions

Why We Need to Change

Supply chains have grown exponentially more complex, weaving through multiple tiers and crossing countless borders. The universe of supplier options is expanding daily, giving teams more choices but also more complexity to navigate. Meanwhile, sustainability requirements aren’t just adding another layer of complexity – they’re fundamentally changing how we evaluate and select partners. And in today’s market, where customer expectations shift at lightning speed, the pressure to move quickly from concept to market has never been more intense.

Yet despite this rapid evolution, our tools have remained surprisingly stagnant. While the challenges multiply, sourcing teams are still expected to manage this increasing complexity with the same outdated tools and manual processes.

The B2B Sales Revolution Shows Us the Way

Every day, sales teams in business-to-business (B2B) companies face a challenge that might sound familiar: they need to find and connect with the right companies to do business with.

These sales professionals are tasked with identifying potential customers, understanding their needs, and building relationships that lead to major contracts – often worth millions of dollars. Just like sourcing teams searching for the perfect supplier, they need to research companies, find the right decision-makers, reach out professionally, and nurture relationships over time.

Think of companies like Microsoft trying to sell their enterprise software, or manufacturing equipment providers seeking new customers. Their sales teams once spent countless hours manually searching for potential clients, digging through company websites, and sending individual emails hoping to start conversations. They faced the same challenges sourcing teams face today: the tedious work of research, outreach, and follow-ups consumed most of their time, leaving little room for actual relationship building.

But then something changed. B2B sales teams revolutionised their approach by embracing automation and modern technology. Here’s what their world looked like before this transformation:

Before Automation:

• Manual prospect research
• Individual email writing
• Scattered contact information
• Endless follow-ups
• Lost opportunities

After Automation:

• Intelligent prospect matching
• Personalised outreach at scale
• Centralised data management
• Automated follow-ups
• More time for relationship building

Sound like improvements sourcing teams could use?

Introducing a Better Way

Let’s be clear: sourcing is fundamentally different from sales. While sales teams aim to maximise customer acquisition, sourcing is about finding the right supplier – one who can deliver the perfect balance of quality, price, and speed to market. It’s not about quantity; it’s about precision and fit.

Sourcing new vendors isn’t an everyday occurrence like sales prospecting. When you do need to source, though, you need to cast a wide net while having sophisticated tools to filter and identify the perfect match for your specific requirements. Unfortunately, today’s sourcing toolkit hasn’t evolved to meet these unique needs.

And while finding new suppliers might be occasional, the day-to-day communication with existing suppliers is constant. Your team spends countless hours sharing design briefs, tracking samples, exchanging documentation, and managing specifications. This is where we see the biggest opportunity: not in removing the human element of supplier relationships, but in automating the administrative burden that keeps your team from focusing on strategic decisions and relationship building.

We’re bringing the proven technological advances from B2B sales to sourcing teams – not to turn sourcing into a numbers game, but to give you powerful tools that understand and support your actual workflow. 

1. Intelligent Supplier Discovery

“We already get plenty of supplier emails”
“We rely on our network for recommendations”

– these are responses we hear often, and they make perfect sense. Your professional network is invaluable, built on years of experience and trust. Those colleague recommendations come with built-in reliability, and there’s incredible value in that. And yes, most sourcing teams already receive countless supplier outreach emails every day.

These traditional approaches have served the industry well. However, we’ve heard from many sourcing leaders about the challenges they face when expanding into new territory. What about when you’re exploring entirely new product categories? Or when emerging markets present exciting opportunities? Sometimes, even the strongest networks might not have deep connections in rapidly developing regions that could offer your business a competitive edge.

The reality is, sourcing’s greatest opportunities often lie in discovering possibilities that aren’t yet on everyone’s radar. While trusted networks will always be crucial, having the ability to systematically explore beyond your existing connections – while efficiently filtering out the noise – can open doors to remarkable opportunities that might otherwise be missed.

That’s why we’ve developed a discovery system that aims to complement, not replace, your existing network. It combines the trust factor you value from personal recommendations with the ability to confidently explore new possibilities:

• Access to 2M+ verified suppliers
• AI-powered matching based on your requirements
• Automated capability verification

2. Smart Research & Enrichment

Every sourcing professional knows the time-consuming reality of supplier research. Whether you’re exploring recommendations from colleagues, following up on trade show contacts, or vetting factories that reached out directly – each potential supplier requires careful investigation. Your team meticulously searches through websites, trade profiles, and email threads to piece together the essential details: manufacturing capabilities, MOQs, certifications, product ranges, and track record.

Think about your last sourcing project. How many hours did your team spend just gathering basic information? For every ten suppliers on your list, that’s ten separate research processes, often involving multiple browser tabs, email searches, and note-taking sessions. Even with suppliers you already work with, keeping their information current and organised can be a constant challenge.

What if you could automate this initial research phase? Not to replace your team’s expert evaluation, but to give them a head start with organised, verified information. Whether you’re researching a list of suppliers from your network, investigating factories that contacted you, or exploring new potential partners, having automated research support means your team can focus on analysing opportunities rather than gathering basic facts.

That’s why we’ve built smart research capabilities that do the heavy lifting:

• Automatic supplier research
• Verification of capabilities
• Multi-language support
• Structured data collection

3. Automated Yet Personal Outreach

Finding the right supplier isn’t just about sourcing a list—it’s about knowing who to reach, collecting the right information, and keeping track of each interaction. But sourcing teams face real obstacles here:

You’ve identified potential vendors, but what comes next? Often, this stage involves time-consuming research to gather contact information, sourcing emails and phone numbers. And when you reach out, you might hit language barriers (non English receptionists) or find the wrong points of contact, slowing the process down even more. Then, once you get through, each vendor inquiry requires you to request specific details: their capabilities, machinery, capacity, minimum order quantities, certifications, and more.

As the communications pile up, it can be a challenge to track where you are with each vendor. Which responses do you have? What details are still missing? And with each supplier in a different stage of conversation, managing these exchanges can feel like a logistical maze.

Our system changes this by blending automation with personalisation—giving your team the tools to handle supplier outreach at scale without sacrificing the one-on-one attention each vendor relationship needs.

• Multi-language Calls – to collect the correct sales enquiry email
• Personalised communication at scale – professional reach out emails personalised to each supplier
• Intelligent follow-ups
• Response tracking
• Send batch design briefs for sampling

4. Centralised Information Hub

Most companies have ERP and supplier management systems in place, but here’s the gap: sourcing teams often lack a structured way to manage potential suppliers before they enter those official systems. This means that supplier information can end up scattered across emails and documents, making it difficult to track, revisit, and organize potential partners effectively.

Think of us as the pre-supplier management tool—the system that organizes and stores information on suppliers even before they become official partners. This way, if a factory isn’t a fit for your current project but could be valuable in the future, all their details are right there when you’re ready to re-engage. No more lost information or repetitive research—just quick access to everything you need.

• All supplier data in one place
• Structured response management
• Easy comparison and analysis
• Progress tracking

The Future We See

We envision a world where sourcing teams:

• Focus on strategic decisions, not admin
• Build deeper supplier relationships
• Move faster on opportunities
• Make data-driven choices

Join Us in Shaping This Future

While we have a clear vision, we believe in building it together with forward-thinking sourcing teams.

As a beta partner, you’ll:

1. Shape the future of supplier outreach
2. Get early access to new features
3. Receive dedicated support
4. Lock in special pricing

Ready to revolutionise your supplier outreach?

Join our beta program and help shape the future of sourcing.

ABOUT US

We’ve spent years working with brands from startups to billion-dollar companies. We’ve seen the challenges. We’ve felt the pain. And now, we’re bringing proven technology to solve it.

Stop letting manual processes hold your sourcing team back. Join the future of sourcing.