Global Sourcing and Procurement Strategy Training Course

Duration 10 days 19 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Procurement Managers, Strategic Sourcing Specialists and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-P-076

Before you join: Participants should have basic experience of purchasing, supplier communication, tendering, contract administration or supply chain operations.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Global sourcing can reduce cost, expand supplier options and improve access to specialised capabilities, but it also introduces exposure to currency movements, trade restrictions, long lead times, quality variation, supplier concentration and weak contractual control. Procurement professionals must make sourcing decisions on total cost and risk rather than quoted price alone. They also need a structured way to identify suitable supply markets, qualify international suppliers, negotiate commercial terms and manage performance after award.

This course develops the methods used to design and run an international sourcing strategy. Participants assess spend portfolios using the Kraljic Matrix, conduct supply-market analysis, develop sourcing strategies, calculate landed cost and total cost of ownership, and create supplier selection criteria. The programme covers international tendering, supplier due diligence, Incoterms 2020, contract structures, ethical sourcing, trade compliance, freight planning, currency risk and supplier relationship management. Participants learn to connect sourcing decisions with finance, operations, logistics, legal and sustainability requirements.

Instruction combines concise tutor briefings with procurement cases, supplier negotiations, analytical group work, tender simulations and structured application planning. Participants progressively build a global sourcing strategy for a selected category, such as medical equipment, IT hardware, engineering spares, retail goods or professional services. They leave with a practical category strategy pack containing market analysis, supplier segmentation, evaluation model, cost model, risk register, sourcing plan and performance measures.

The course suits procurement and supply chain professionals who already buy goods or services and now need to source across borders, manage international supplier portfolios or improve control of imported categories. It is also relevant to managers responsible for procurement transformation, supplier risk, logistics cost or strategic categories.

What you will be able to do

  • Assess procurement spend and supply risk using the Kraljic Matrix and spend segmentation
  • Conduct international supply-market analysis using PESTLE, Porter’s Five Forces and supplier mapping
  • Build a global sourcing strategy with category objectives, sourcing routes and governance
  • Calculate landed cost and total cost of ownership for international sourcing decisions
  • Design supplier prequalification, tender evaluation and due diligence criteria for global suppliers
  • Apply Incoterms 2020, payment terms and contract clauses to allocate international trade risk
  • Negotiate international supplier agreements using structured preparation, concessions and BATNA
  • Produce and present a complete global sourcing strategy pack for a defined category

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Make sourcing recommendations using total cost, risk and market evidence
  • Lead international supplier evaluations with clearer commercial and compliance criteria
  • Prepare stronger negotiation positions for overseas suppliers and distributors
  • Explain Incoterms, payment structures and logistics risk to internal stakeholders
  • Build a portfolio-quality global sourcing strategy for a live category

For your organisation

  • Lower acquisition cost through disciplined should-cost and landed-cost analysis
  • Reduced supply disruption through supplier due diligence and risk treatment plans
  • More consistent tender decisions through weighted evaluation and documented governance
  • Improved import control through appropriate Incoterms, logistics planning and trade checks
  • Stronger supplier performance through defined service levels, scorecards and review cycles

Course modules

19 modules over 10 days

Participants can define the business case, scope and governance requirements for global sourcing.

  • Global sourcing drivers: cost, capability, capacity, resilience and market access
  • Procurement operating models: centralised, decentralised, lead-buyer and hybrid structures
  • Category scope defined through specifications, demand profiles and stakeholder requirements
  • Stakeholder mapping using power-interest analysis and RACI accountabilities
  • Procurement policy controls, delegated authority limits and approval workflows
  • Business case assumptions tested against service, quality and continuity requirements

Participants can segment spend and select categories suitable for international sourcing.

  • Spend cube construction by supplier, category, business unit and geography
  • Pareto analysis identifies high-value categories and fragmented supplier expenditure
  • Data cleansing rules for duplicate suppliers, currencies and inconsistent descriptions
  • Demand profiling separates recurring, project-based, seasonal and emergency purchases
  • Tail-spend analysis identifies aggregation, standardisation and catalogue opportunities
  • Category prioritisation balances savings potential, risk exposure and implementation effort

Participants can position categories using supply risk and commercial impact criteria.

  • Kraljic Matrix classifies categories by profit impact and supply risk
  • Scoring criteria calibrated for spend, substitutability, criticality and market concentration
  • Strategic, bottleneck, leverage and non-critical sourcing responses compared
  • Portfolio positions challenged using operational dependency and failure consequences
  • Supplier preferencing assesses the buyer’s attractiveness to key suppliers
  • Category objectives translated into cost, risk, service and innovation targets

Participants can assess overseas supply markets and identify viable sourcing regions.

  • PESTLE analysis assesses political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors
  • Porter’s Five Forces tests supplier power and market entry barriers
  • Supply-market mapping compares production clusters, capacity and export capability
  • Market intelligence sources include trade data, industry reports and customs records
  • Commodity price indices separated from conversion cost and supplier margin
  • Country screening assesses infrastructure, labour availability and industrial capability

Participants can create a credible longlist and prequalify international suppliers.

  • Supplier discovery channels include trade fairs, chambers, databases and referrals
  • Request for Information documents test capability, capacity and market interest
  • Prequalification questionnaires cover ownership, facilities, quality systems and references
  • Financial due diligence reviews liquidity, debt, profitability and going-concern indicators
  • Site-audit planning tests process capability, controls and management commitment
  • Supplier longlists reduced through mandatory pass-fail qualification criteria

Participants can incorporate responsible sourcing requirements into supplier decisions.

  • ISO 20400 principles connect procurement decisions with sustainable development objectives
  • Human rights due diligence identifies forced labour and worker welfare risks
  • Supplier codes of conduct define labour, ethics and environmental expectations
  • Environmental criteria cover emissions, materials, waste and resource consumption
  • Audit evidence assessed for validity, scope, corrective actions and follow-up
  • Remediation plans distinguish supplier development from disqualification decisions

Participants can formulate a category-specific global sourcing strategy and implementation roadmap.

  • Sourcing options compare local, regional, global, dual and single-source models
  • Make-buy analysis tests internal capability against external supply economics
  • Strategy statements specify category objectives, constraints and sourcing principles
  • Supplier portfolio design balances consolidation, competition and supply continuity
  • Implementation roadmaps sequence specification, tender, award, transition and review actions
  • Governance gates define decisions, evidence requirements and executive approvals

Participants can improve requirements before approaching international supply markets.

  • Functional specifications describe required outcomes rather than preferred supplier solutions
  • Should-cost inputs separate materials, labour, overheads, freight and margin
  • Value analysis challenges features that add cost without user benefit
  • Standardisation opportunities reduce SKU proliferation and improve buying power
  • Demand forecasts incorporate consumption patterns, project schedules and safety-stock policy
  • Change-control procedures protect suppliers from unmanaged scope variation

Participants can compare international sourcing options using full lifecycle cost models.

  • Landed-cost models include price, packing, freight, insurance, duty and clearance
  • Currency conversion uses spot rates, forward rates and sensitivity ranges
  • Total cost of ownership captures quality failures, inventory, warranty and disposal
  • Order quantity affects freight utilisation, working capital and stockholding cost
  • Scenario analysis compares sourcing countries under changing exchange-rate assumptions
  • Cost breakdown analysis identifies negotiation targets and supplier cost drivers

Participants can select commercial terms that allocate delivery, cost and payment risks appropriately.

  • Incoterms 2020 allocate delivery, risk transfer, transport and customs responsibilities
  • EXW, FCA, FOB, CIF, DAP and DDP terms compared
  • Term selection reflects shipment mode, buyer capability and customs control
  • Payment methods compare advance payment, open account, documentary collection and letters
  • Foreign exchange exposure assessed by currency, timing and contractual denomination
  • Trade documentation includes commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates and bills

Participants can identify procurement actions needed to support compliant cross-border buying.

  • Commodity classification uses Harmonized System codes and product descriptions
  • Rules of origin determine preferential duty treatment and documentary evidence
  • Sanctions screening checks suppliers, beneficial owners, countries and restricted parties
  • Export controls identify controlled goods, technology and end-use restrictions
  • Customs valuation principles distinguish transaction value from additional dutiable costs
  • Record-retention schedules support audit trails, declarations and supplier certifications

Participants can run a fair international tender and select suppliers using weighted evidence.

  • Request for Proposal structures scope, instructions, terms and response schedules
  • Bidder conferences clarify requirements while preserving equal treatment principles
  • Evaluation matrices weight technical, commercial, risk and sustainability criteria
  • Consensus scoring records evidence, assumptions, reservations and conflict declarations
  • Clarification protocols prevent post-bid negotiation from distorting competition
  • Award recommendations document value, risk treatment and approval rationale

Participants can prepare and conduct cross-border negotiations with clear commercial objectives.

  • Negotiation planning defines objectives, walk-away points, concessions and BATNA
  • Cost breakdowns support fact-based challenges to price and surcharge requests
  • Cultural dimensions influence communication, authority, pace and relationship-building expectations
  • Package deals trade volume, term, payment, service and price variables
  • Concession logs protect value exchange and prevent unreciprocated movement
  • Closing techniques confirm agreement wording, ownership and next-step deadlines

Participants can specify contract controls for cross-border supply relationships.

  • Contract scope defines products, specifications, volumes, locations and exclusions
  • Price-adjustment clauses address commodities, currencies, indices and review triggers
  • Service-level agreements specify delivery, quality, response and reporting measures
  • Warranty clauses establish remedies, repair obligations and claim timeframes
  • Limitation-of-liability provisions allocate financial exposure between contracting parties
  • Dispute-resolution clauses address governing law, escalation, mediation and arbitration

Participants can align sourcing decisions with logistics design and continuity controls.

  • Transport-mode selection compares cost, lead time, reliability and carbon impact
  • Lead-time mapping identifies production, consolidation, transit, clearance and delivery delays
  • Safety-stock calculations reflect demand variability, service targets and replenishment lead times
  • Supplier-managed inventory models clarify ownership, replenishment and data-sharing responsibilities
  • Business continuity plans define disruption triggers, alternatives and recovery actions
  • Dual sourcing strategies test qualification cost against interruption exposure

Participants can manage international suppliers through performance measures and structured reviews.

  • Supplier scorecards track quality, delivery, cost, responsiveness and compliance
  • On-time-in-full measures distinguish late, short, damaged and rejected deliveries
  • Quarterly business reviews address trends, corrective actions and improvement priorities
  • Root-cause analysis uses five whys and fishbone diagrams for recurring failures
  • Supplier development plans assign milestones, owners, support and verification evidence
  • Relationship segmentation determines executive sponsorship and communication frequency

Participants can identify, assess and treat risks within a global sourcing portfolio.

  • Risk registers capture likelihood, impact, ownership, controls and treatment actions
  • Supply-chain risk categories include geopolitical, financial, operational and climate exposures
  • Heat maps prioritise risks requiring mitigation, transfer, acceptance or avoidance
  • Supplier concentration analysis identifies single points of failure and dependency
  • Early-warning indicators track financial distress, delivery deterioration and country disruption
  • Contingency sourcing plans define alternate suppliers, stock buffers and activation authority

Participants can define the data, controls and reporting needed for global sourcing decisions.

  • Procure-to-pay data links requisitions, orders, receipts, invoices and supplier records
  • Supplier master-data controls manage legal entities, banking details and identifiers
  • Spend dashboards report savings, compliance, supplier concentration and purchase-price variance
  • Approval workflows separate request, evaluation, award and contract-authorisation responsibilities
  • Audit trails retain tender communications, scoring records and conflict declarations
  • Data-quality metrics monitor completeness, timeliness, accuracy and duplicate records

Participants can build, review and present a complete global sourcing strategy pack for a selected category.

  • Category brief defines scope, demand profile, stakeholders and sourcing objectives
  • Spend and portfolio analysis establishes category priority and sourcing position
  • Supply-market assessment compares countries, suppliers, capacity and competitive conditions
  • Landed-cost model tests shortlisted sourcing scenarios and commercial assumptions
  • Supplier evaluation plan combines qualification, tender, due diligence and weighting
  • Risk register specifies mitigations, continuity measures, owners and review triggers
  • Implementation roadmap sequences tender, negotiation, contracting, transition and performance reviews

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Global sourcing strategy template
  2. Kraljic portfolio and supplier preferencing analysis
  3. International supplier prequalification questionnaire
  4. Landed cost and total cost of ownership model
  5. Weighted tender evaluation matrix
  6. Supplier risk register and continuity plan

Who should attend

  • Procurement Managers — need to develop defensible international category and supplier strategies
  • Strategic Sourcing Specialists — need structured methods for overseas supplier selection and tendering
  • Category Managers — need to balance cost, supply risk, quality and sustainability
  • Supply Chain Managers — need procurement decisions aligned with logistics and inventory constraints
  • Contract and Tender Officers — need stronger international evaluation and commercial controls
  • Procurement Transformation Leads — need common tools for improving global purchasing practices

Skills and tools covered

Global sourcing strategySupply market analysisLanded cost modellingInternational tenderingSupplier risk managementCross-border negotiation

Tools and standards

Kraljic Matrix, Incoterms 2020, ISO 20400, Porter’s Five Forces

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce each method, followed by procurement cases drawn from international buying environments. Participants analyse spend data, compare sourcing options, evaluate supplier submissions and prepare negotiation positions in groups. Simulations address tender governance, supplier meetings, Incoterms selection and disruption response. Individual application planning links the tools to a participant’s own category or sourcing challenge. Tutor feedback focuses on commercial logic, evidence quality, risk treatment and practical implementation.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic experience of purchasing, supplier communication, tendering, contract administration or supply chain operations. They should be comfortable reading quotations, purchase orders, simple cost data and supplier performance information. Familiarity with their organisation’s purchasing policy and key spend categories is useful. No prior international sourcing role is required, and no specialist legal, customs, freight forwarding or finance qualification is expected. The course explains the commercial purpose of trade terms, landed-cost elements and currency exposure without assuming advanced technical knowledge.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should have basic experience of purchasing, supplier management, tendering or supply chain work. You do not need prior international sourcing experience, customs expertise or a finance qualification.

Bring a current or planned sourcing category, if confidentiality permits, along with basic spend, supplier or logistics information. Participants can also work from the course cases where organisational data cannot be shared.

It is designed for procurement managers, category managers, sourcing specialists, contract officers and supply chain managers. It is most useful for professionals responsible for imported goods, overseas suppliers or cross-border tenders.

General procurement courses focus on core purchasing processes and domestic supplier management. This programme concentrates on international supply-market selection, trade terms, landed cost, cross-border risk, import controls and overseas supplier negotiations.

The course tools can be applied to a live category strategy, supplier review, tender plan or sourcing business case. The final strategy pack provides a structured starting point for internal discussion and approval.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes analysis, strategy and costing methods; the second week addresses tendering, trade, contracts, risk, performance and the capstone presentation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

More courses in Procurement

Procurement E-Procurement Management Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Procurement Effective Procurement Skills Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Procurement Energy Procurement and Contract Strategy Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Procurement Generative AI for Procurement Documentation Training Course 5 days · from USD 1,100 · next 16 Nov Procurement Government Procurement Integrity Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Procurement Government Procurement Policy and Practice Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Procurement Government Procurement Regulations and Tendering Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Procurement Green Public Procurement Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov