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Executive Teams Need the Right Tool for High-Level Strategic Analysis

I’ve been explaining why ReGlobalization requires dynamic supply chain optionality for a while. But how do executive teams achieve such supply chain agility?

Well, your first requirement is a tool to conduct high-level scenarios. Your supply chain and manufacturing pros need to investigate country capabilities, nearshoring options and tariff considerations.

Because it makes no sense to produce apparel in Country X if Country X has limited capacity for making apparel. It makes no sense to produce footwear in Country Y if Country Y has no labor force available. And it makes no sense to produce auto parts in Country Z if you must pay 100% tariffs on auto parts from Country Z.

Luckily, Tompkins Ventures’ partners have developed that Dynamic Supply Chain Optionality (DSCO) tool. The DSCO’s Shorefinder Toolbox has three parts:

  • A country assessment
  • An on/off/nearshoring assessment
  • A tariff rater

Your executive and supply chain teams can use the tool to decide if it makes sense to pursue options at a strategic level. Only then can you examine your options in more detail.

Experts who have reviewed the tool are excited. In fact, one said, “There is nothing like it, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it.”

Improving Supply Chains with Dynamic Optionality

The world of global trade is undergoing a seismic shift. As I’ve explained many times, today’s business environment is shifting from traditional globalization to ReGlobalization. Countries and companies need alternatives to manufacturing and supply chain operations that originate from sole sources in China. Shifting tariffs and geopolitical tensions are driving ReGlobalization

Full optionality requires redesigning your global network for sourcing, production, suppliers and distribution. Companies that fail to adapt risk higher costs, inefficiencies and disruptions.

To stay ahead, executive teams must embrace Dynamic Supply Chain Optionality (DSCO). This strategic approach enables real-time adaptability in sourcing, manufacturing and logistics. With DSCO, businesses can proactively evaluate manufacturing locations. They can go beyond historical data and adjust sourcing strategies and logistics based on real-time economic and geopolitical data.

Without an adaptable supply chain strategy, your decisions will erode profitable growth. DSCO ensures that supply chain leaders make data-driven choices that align with evolving global trade conditions.

The DSCO Shorefinder Toolbox Is Your Competitive Advantage

To help companies navigate this complex landscape, Tompkins Ventures has developed the DSCO Shorefinder Toolbox. This tool empowers executive teams with actionable insights, making it easier to evaluate supply chain scenarios before making critical decisions.

The Shorefinder Toolbox comprises three essential components: a country assessment, an on/off/nearshoring assessment and a tariff rater. Together, these tools provide a comprehensive, high-level evaluation of manufacturing locations, logistics feasibility and cost implications.

The country assessment evaluates the capabilities of each country. This analysis lets executive teams define the products under review, the country of interest, the country of current usage and a benchmark country. The assessment weighs factors used to evaluate the holistic capabilities of a country. This helps executive and supply chain teams review the capabilities of a potential reshoring country for products under consideration.

The on/off/nearshoring assessment evaluates the impact of manufacturing location. This includes which ports you use for import and export and features of your future distribution network. You decide space, staff and planned weeks of inventory to meet customer demand. The high-level evaluation shows how moving manufacturing affects the cost of labor, space, transportation and working capital.

The tariff rater analyzes the cost of relocating services from the current country to another country. Executive teams can define the value and quantity of goods to consider. Understanding the taxes associated with changing manufacturing locations is critical to protect profitability.

Making Smarter Supply Chain Decisions in an Era of ReGlobalization

Selecting the right manufacturing location requires more than just cost considerations. Businesses must evaluate a range of factors, including manufacturing capabilities, economic stability, logistics infrastructure and geopolitical risks.

A country’s manufacturing capabilities dictate whether it can meet production quality and volume requirements. Skilled labor availability is particularly critical in specialized industries. Economic stability, political risk and regulatory frameworks also play a key role in long-term viability.

Logistics efficiency is another crucial factor. Reliable customs processes, port operations and transportation infrastructure directly impact supply chain resilience. And you must weigh total supply chain expenses against the potential cost-effectiveness of relocation. Those costs include raw materials, labor and distribution.

Finally, executive teams cannot ignore geopolitical risks. Businesses must assess potential disruptions, benchmark against existing sourcing locations and develop contingency plans to ensure operational continuity.

The DSCO Shorefinder Tool accounts for all those factors.

Real-World Scenarios to Improve Supply Chain Agility

Let’s take a couple of scenarios supply chain managers might face and see what the DSCO tool says.

In the first scenario, a company wants to move some manufacturing of retail apparel from mainland China. Currently, the company exports the finished apparel from Hong Kong to the port of Long Beach, Calif. They distribute from the West Coast to their U.S. network.

The portion they move totals $10 million worth of goods annually. And they would like to manufacture in the Dominican Republic. Manufacturing in the Dominican Republic allows the company to export into Miami, Florida, just 800 miles away. (For comparison, Hong Kong is more than 7,000 miles from California.)

The supply chain pros expect they will need to add a 20,000-square-foot distribution center staffed by 15 full-time personnel. They plan to carry 12 weeks of supply in their U.S. network, based out of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The Shorefinder Toolbox results show this company that it can save more than $2 million annually.

In the second scenario, an executive team wants to investigate moving sportswear manufacturing from China to the Dominican Republic. Benchmarking another country (Mexico) reveals that manufacturing in the Dominican adds a lot of risk.

The country evaluation report (you can see the image at the top of this blog) scores China at a 6.02 and Mexico at a 6.09. The Dominican Republic, at 0.97, trails by a far margin.

Of course, the United States might place humongous tariffs on apparel imported from China and Mexico. And the tool shows that the Dominican Republic has plenty of capacity to produce sportswear. Therefore, the Dominican Republic could be a secondary supplier in your optionality toolbox.

Future-Proofing Supply Chains with DSCO

ReGlobalization is transforming the global trade landscape, making supply chain flexibility a competitive necessity. Companies that adopt Dynamic Supply Chain Optionality can mitigate risk better. They can lower costs. And, more importantly, they can future-proof their operations against disruptions.

Interested in Tompkins Ventures’ DSCO Shorefinder Toolbox? I would love to discuss your next steps toward integrating supply chain optionality into your operations. Let’s chat and figure out how to navigate this disruptive landscape together to ensure long-term success.