This may sound familiar. Manufacturer’s efforts to do more for less have resulted in the purchasing department sourcing products to the cheapest provider. Such cost-cutting certainly makes purchasing groups look like heroes to management, but the effect on manufacturing and quality may be just the opposite.
Many times, sourcing to the lowest cost supplier results in part defects, increased internal non-quality costs, production delays and other undesirable side effects like higher warranty costs and disgruntled customers.