Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Selection

In today's global economy, strategic supplier selection is a critical function of any resilient and profitable business. A poor sourcing decision can introduce catastrophic risk, from production delays to quality failures, while a well-vetted supplier becomes a powerful competitive advantage. Discovering these vital partners is not a matter of luck; it is a science that requires a structured, repeatable, and defensible methodology. This is where the professional skill of the market scan becomes indispensable. This course, Apply Market-Scan for Top Suppliers, is designed to make you a competent practitioner of this fundamental sourcing skill. It provides a comprehensive framework for systematically researching, identifying, and compiling a robust long-list of potential suppliers for any product or service. Who is This Course For? This course is engineered for aspiring or early-career professionals in procurement and supply chain, as well as entrepreneurs and managers who oversee sourcing activities. No prior experience is required, only a basic familiarity with business concepts and online research. The curriculum is specifically tailored to empower: Aspiring Procurement and Sourcing Professionals: Gain the foundational, hands-on skill that hiring managers look for, learning the exact process used by professionals to initiate sourcing projects. Early-Career Supply Chain Analysts: Understand the upstream process of supplier discovery and appreciate how the quality of the supplier base impacts the entire supply chain. Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners: Equip yourself with a professional-grade process to find reliable partners, helping you avoid common pitfalls that can derail a new venture. Business Managers and Project Leaders: Acquire the framework to effectively guide and evaluate procurement activities, ensuring due diligence is performed on critical projects. What You Will Learn: A Deep Dive into the Market-Scan Process This course is built around three core learning objectives that guide you through the complete market-scan workflow. First, you will master defining your search scope (LO1). A market scan without a clear scope leads to wasted hours and irrelevant results. You will learn to deconstruct a business need into concrete search parameters using documents like Sourcing Requests and Product Requirements Forms. Through our central case study, "Strategic Supplier Market Scan for a Smart Home Device," you'll practice defining critical specifications—such as sensor accuracy, material compliance, cost targets, and required lead times—to ensure your research is focused and efficient from the start. This crucial first step prevents the costly mistake of pursuing suppliers who cannot meet your core needs. Next, you will learn to leverage diverse information sources to gather market intelligence (LO2). Effective sourcing requires knowing exactly where to look. This course moves you far beyond generic search engines and introduces you to the professional sourcing ecosystem. You will learn to navigate industrial directories like Thomasnet, which often list established domestic manufacturers, and use global B2B marketplaces like Alibaba, which open doors to international suppliers but require additional scrutiny. We will also explore specialized business databases and trade association resources. By analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each source, you will learn to triangulate information to verify supplier legitimacy and build a rich, data-driven view of the supplier landscape. Finally, you will develop a standardized, repeatable supplier-sourcing framework (LO3). The ultimate goal is to equip you with a process you can apply to any sourcing project in your career. You will learn to apply high-level screening criteria to methodically filter out non-viable candidates and master the art of methodical documentation. We provide templates for compiling a professional supplier long-list, which is more than a list of names—it is a strategic asset. It contains methodical notes on the sources consulted, the search terms used, and a clear rationale for every inclusion and exclusion. This disciplined approach provides transparency for stakeholders, creates a repeatable framework for future sourcing activities, and establishes a defensible audit trail for your decisions. Your Learning Experience This course is designed as an active, engaging, and practical learning experience. The curriculum is built around: Engaging Video Instruction and Case Studies: Instructor-led videos break down complex topics into digestible segments, enriched with real-world examples and case studies that show the direct link between sourcing theory and business outcomes. Hands-On Practice: You will immediately put your skills to the test in a hands-on lab where you'll conduct a mini market-scan for a common product, allowing you to practice using different online sources and documenting your findings in a low-stakes environment. Interactive AI Coaching: You will engage in a unique dialogue activity with an AI coach, who will act as a sourcing manager and challenge you to defend your screening criteria in a simulated scenario, pushing you to think critically about your strategy. The Market-Scan Project (Graded Assessment): The course culminates in a capstone project where you will demonstrate your mastery of the entire process. You will be given a realistic Sourcing Request and tasked with conducting a full market scan, delivering a documented long-list of at least ten potential suppliers. This portfolio-worthy piece serves as tangible proof of your new capabilities. Unlock Your Career and Expand Your Expertise Upon completing this course, you will possess a deep, practical understanding of the principles of supplier discovery. You will be able to walk into any organization and confidently execute one of the most fundamental tasks in strategic sourcing. This skill is a critical building block for a successful career, preparing you to contribute effectively from day one. To continue building your expertise, we highly recommend exploring related Coursera offerings in Supply Chain Management to understand the broader context of your sourcing decisions, and Negotiation, Mediation and Conflict Resolution to equip you with the skills to turn your well-researched list into successful, long-term partnerships.

Discover and List Your Best Suppliers is a hands-on, beginner-level course designed for professionals in procurement, operations, or entrepreneurship who need to find the right partners to succeed. In a global market, finding qualified suppliers quickly is a competitive advantage, yet manual methods are slow and often miss the best options. This course equips you with the modern techniques and strategic mindset to build a powerful supplier list efficiently. Drawing on real-world case studies from innovative companies like Veridion, Siemens, and Zycus, you will learn to apply a strategic approach to sourcing. You will move beyond simple searching to actively evaluate and select the best sourcing channels—from traditional directories to modern AI platforms. You will then master the art of the keyword search, applying advanced techniques to uncover high-value leads and build a detailed preliminary list of potential suppliers. By the end of this course, you will have a repeatable, effective process for discovering, evaluating, and listing the best suppliers for any business need.

Negotiation: Remember Levers and Record Notes is a foundational course for any professional entering the world of procurement and commercial agreements. Successful negotiation begins long before you enter the room and continues through every word spoken. This course demystifies the process by focusing on two core skills: knowing your negotiable variables and accurately recording the conversation. You will learn to identify and evaluate the three fundamental negotiation levers—price, payment terms, and lead-time—so you can move beyond a single-minded focus on price to create more strategic value. More importantly, you will learn to apply a structured note-taking method using a professional template. Through hands-on exercises and a simulated negotiation, you will practice capturing concessions and counter-offers with precision. This course provides the essential tools to leave every negotiation with a clear, accurate record, enabling better analysis, stronger agreements, and greater confidence.