Context

• Our client was a multinational present in the MENA region who wanted to source products from China
• As a result, they needed to identify good business partners

Project scope

• Phase A: Identify a preliminary list of potential business partners based on publicly available information
• Phase B: Investigate each potential partner and their productive assets in person

Project results

• Identified over 200 potential business partners
• Based on publicly available data, conducted a first due diligence on each of these business partners, winnowing the list down to 10
• Traveled to assess each potential partner in person. The resulting in-depth report covered a broad range of aspects, such as:
  • Fact-checking and cross-checking with government sources (two of the potential partners were found to have made exaggerated claims)
  • Verification of key requirements of our client, such as specifics of the production process and quality control
  • Behind-the-scenes research to verify whether the potential partner had been outsourcing manufacturing work rather than doing it himself
  • Information to enhance negotiation leverage (e.g. about capacity utilization)
  • Etc.
• In certain cases, we also kicked off the negotiation process (initial offer)