From Inside the Work

A lot of what gets written about sourcing from Asia is technically accurate and practically useless.

It describes how the process is supposed to work. The factory visit, the sample approval, the inspection, the shipment. Clean steps in the right order. What it leaves out is everything that happens between the steps — which is usually where the money goes.

After nearly two decades working procurement and operations on the ground in Asia, I’ve developed a fairly clear picture of the gap between how this industry presents itself and how it actually operates.

Ground Truth is where I write that down.

Not a journal. Not case studies. A practitioner’s perspective on the decisions that matter — supplier selection, cost review, QC calls, factory transitions — and what to actually look for when you’re making them.

The occasional anecdote will show up. Vague enough to protect everyone involved, specific enough to be useful.

If you’re sourcing from Asia and something here changes how you approach a decision, that’s the point. If it raises a question about your own situation, that’s what GWC is for.