Welcome to this weeks Sourcing Spotlight. This week in sourcing, the world feels a little less stable – and a lot more expensive.
If you’ve noticed rising freight quotes, slower responses from suppliers, or oil prices creeping up, you’re not imagining it. Geopolitics is crashing into supply chains once again - and this time, Iran is at the centre of it.
But that’s not all. While tankers are dodging missiles in the Gulf, Walmart’s over here dodging email threads entirely - by using AI to negotiate with suppliers. Yep, robots are now part of your competition.
Let’s dive into what it all means, what you can do about it, and how to stay ahead (and sane) in the middle of it all.
Oil tankers are zig-zagging, freight rates are spiking, and critical chemicals are now in short supply. The latest conflict between Iran, Israel, and the US isn’t just playing out on the news, it’s unfolding across ports, production lines, and transit routes worldwide.
What started as a military flashpoint is now a full-blown logistics mess. We're talking:
Ships avoiding the Strait of Hormuz (20% of the world’s oil flows through it)
Marine insurance up, freight costs soaring
Raw material shortages already hitting Asia
Brent crude touching 5-month highs
Even if you're not sourcing from the Gulf, the ripple effects are global, and they’re moving fast.
In this week’s Spotlight, I’m breaking down what’s actually going on behind the headlines, how it’s already impacting freight and factory floors, and what you can do to protect your supply chain right now.
👉 Click to read the full article, and make sure your business is prepared before the next escalation hits.
What if your next supplier negotiation wasn’t done over email… but by AI?
Walmart trialled an AI tool called Pactum, and 85% of suppliers preferred it over a human.
No small talk. No fluff. Just better payment terms and faster decisions.
But does this mean the end of personal relationships in sourcing? Or just the beginning of a new kind of buyer role?
👉 Click to read how this could actually help you build stronger supplier strategies - with or without a robot.
💡 Top Sourcing Tip of the Week:
Always ask for the MOQ – and what flexibility there is.
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) can sound fixed, but it’s often negotiable—especially if you’re clear about your potential volume or offer to pay a bit more per unit upfront. Don’t just accept the first number. Ask:
👉 “Is there flexibility on this MOQ for a first order?”
You’ll be surprised how many suppliers are open to it—especially if they sense long-term business.
That’s it for this weeks Sourcing Spotlight.
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