Why Full Dual-Sourcing Is Often Unnecessary
Qualifying and maintaining a second factory for every SKU doubles your management overhead and dilutes the volume-based pricing leverage you’d otherwise build with one strong partner — rarely worth it below a certain order volume.
A Lighter-Weight Alternative
Many buyers instead maintain light contact with one pre-vetted backup supplier (without active ordering) specifically for their highest-risk or highest-volume SKU, activating that relationship only if a real disruption occurs.