Building a Dual-Sourcing Plan for Critical Ingredients infographic

Building a Dual-Sourcing Plan for Critical Ingredients

Single Sourcing Is a Hidden Risk

Relying on one supplier for a critical ingredient is efficient until it is not. Building on the supplier scorecard and supply chain watch content discussed elsewhere in this publication, dual sourcing reduces the chance that one failure halts production.

Decide What Is Critical

Start with ingredients where a shortage would stop a key product, where specifications are tight, or where lead times are long. Not everything needs a second source.

Qualify the Second Supplier Properly

  • Review documentation, licensing, and testing, using your scorecard
  • Run sample batches and confirm they meet your specifications
  • Check that formulations perform the same with both sources

Split Volume Sensibly

A common approach is a primary and secondary split, such as most volume to one supplier and a meaningful minority to the other, so the backup stays active and ready to scale.

Watch the Costs

Dual sourcing can reduce volume discounts and add qualification effort. Weigh that against the cost of a stockout, especially around December 11.

Keep Documentation Aligned

Make sure both suppliers provide equivalent documentation so your COAs and records stay consistent.

Low Gravity Hemp can serve as a qualified primary or backup source. Contact us to start qualification.

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