September 2015 Sourcing Solutions: Challenges & Opportunities in Global Nearshoring Enterprise Improvement Financial Advisory Information Management Leadership & Organizational Effectiveness Turnaround & Restructuring
AlixPartners Nearshoring Survey- Executive Summary Many manufacturers based in North America and Western Europe have already shifted low-cost production sources to countries closer to their domestic market a practice called nearshoring Nearly half of the companies recently surveyed by AlixPartners report nearshoring activities are likely within the next one to three years Lower freight costs, improved speed to market, and higher customer service levels remain the key benefits of nearshoring However, significant concerns remain about stability in established nearshoring locations such as Mexico, and emergent regions such as North Africa and the Middle East In addition to geopolitical risks, nearshoring activities are complex and need to be considered in a careful, practical manner Our Strategic Manufacturing Sourcing report is available on our website for free: /en/publications.aspx 2
Lower Freight Costs, Improved Speed-to-market, And Customer Service Improvements Are Seen As Biggest Benefits Of Nearshoring What are the biggest advantages you would expect from a nearshoring decision? Total N. America W. Europe Lower freight costs 5 55% 55% Improved speed-to-market / Lower inventory (in-transit) costs 55% 51% 64% Customer service improvements / Proximity to customer 42% 50% 51% Import duty and tax benefits 24% 21% 2 Fewer supply disruptions 15% 23% 2 Better quality control 23% 21% 30% Shrinking wage gap 1 20% Time-zone advantages 15% 1 Lower input costs 13% 14% Improved intellectual property security 24% Other 3
The Biggest Challenges With Nearshoring Operations Appear To Be The Availability Of Skilled Labor And Consistent Quality What are the biggest challenges you have had or expect to have with nearshoring operations? Total N. America W. Europe Availability of Skilled Labor Quality and consistency Local government regulations General operational topics like capacity, customer Labor costs Personnel management/labor law Currency risk Customs regulations Tax issues Security of products Transportation - cross border Security of personnel Other Availability of equipment Corruption Transportation - in country Warehouse site location 1 15% 10% 15% 10% 5% 5% 3% 0% 4% 3% 2% 42% 33% 3 41% 2 34% 3 33% 33% 3 2 24% 30% 24% 2 2 21% 4 4 4
Some African Countries are Emerging as Potential Sourcing Hubs Manufacturing sector is rapidly growing, particularly in North and East Africa Tesco, Primark, and H&M started to source garments from Ethiopia in past two years US African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) 10-year renewal in June 2015 2015 survey of chief procurement officers by McKinsey identifies East Africa as potential hub for apparel sourcing Historical Constraints to Sourcing are Being Addressed in Many Countries Poor infrastructure Cumbersome customs processes Dearth of labor force talent Perception of political risk Limited domestic market Enormous infrastructure investments Customs initiatives and regional economic cooperation Burgeoning highly educated middle class Democratic, peaceful successions Emerging culture of shopping, rising disposable incomes 5
African Ports have Benefitted from Enormous Capital Investment Development of world-class transshipment facilities in North Africa, including Tangier and Port Said Ports are handling higher volumes and larger vessels are being deployed on Africa trades. Some carriers have launched WAFMAX vessels designed to maximize capacity within the draft constraints of African ports West African port expansion to support import volume growth, including Dakar, Monrovia, Adidjan, Tema, Lomé, Lagos, Kribi, and Luanda expansions East African port investments catering to import and export volume growth, including Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, and Djibouti expansion 6
These Capital Investments are Supporting Remarkable Throughput Growth and Productivity Improvements Freeport Monrovia 2010 Freeport Monrovia 2013 Investments in capacity have facilitated leaps in productivity: Rehabilitation of infrastructure that was hindering operations Deployment of cranes that facilitate increased berth productivity Construction of additional berths, alleviating vessel congestion Port advances reduce the cost of serving African ports, reducing barriers to trade and enhancing competitiveness of African trade 7
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