Strengthening Supply Chains For An American Multinational Retail Corporation

A retail company set its sights on expanding its supplier base in India to tap into new sourcing opportunities for components and consumer products. With India’s vast and fragmented supplier landscape, the client needed a smarter, more structured way to identify credible, compliant partners that could align with their global procurement standards.

Challenges faced by the client

As the client looked to diversify its supply chain, the main challenge was finding trustworthy suppliers who not only met product requirements but also passed critical risk, compliance, and operational checks. Traditional sourcing methods were time-consuming and lacked the depth of due diligence needed for high-stakes procurement decisions.

Internal challenges

Internally, the procurement team struggled with limited visibility into the Indian supplier ecosystem. There was no streamlined process to evaluate supplier credibility at scale or to align sourcing decisions with internal procurement strategies. The lack of automation also slowed down lead times and reduced agility in decision-making.

External challenges

Externally, the client faced difficulty in navigating a fragmented supplier market with varying levels of business transparency. Identifying small to mid-sized suppliers with reliable operations, compliant practices, and a history of performance proved complex. The absence of readily available, validated business data further complicated the supplier qualification process.

How D&B helped?

D&B stepped in with a data-driven approach that combined insights from its extensive Data Cloud, shipping intelligence, and compliance frameworks. D&B mapped products to HSN codes, curated lines of business based on product details, and worked closely with the client’s procurement team to align with sourcing needs. Through primary research and robust validation methodologies, D&B identified 222 credible suppliers across 75+ consumer product categories. Each profile included detailed business parameters and direct contact information, enabling swift outreach and confident engagement.

Key learnings

• Alternate supplier identification to derisk supply chain
• Data To Ensure Client Procurement Needs are met