So one of your engineers specified a component from a supplier without ever checking to see if any other suppliers offer an equivalent, and now that original supplier is going to discontinue the component. You don't have time to redesign and retest using a new component before running out of stock of the original. Sure, it would have been nice if the engineer that specified the component in the first place would have done a little research and found two or three manufacturers that made equivalent parts so you could just give them a call and get some additional stock to tide you over. But that's not the case this time. How do you find a new supplier?

The need to track down suppliers obviously isn't limited to the above scenario, but it is times like those when you need to know the best methods and sources of finding new suppliers. Now a day, it seems the first source to pop into everybody's head is the Internet. It's a great source, no doubt, but it is difficult to navigate if you don't know where to start. And what happens if that approach doesn't pay off? There are many sources available to track down the right suppliers and some are Internet based, but many aren't.

Current Suppliers

In the case of a discontinued part, sometimes the best source for finding new suppliers is your current supplier. Manufacturers that are discontinuing a part will often direct you to a competitor that makes an equivalent as a gesture of good will and customer service. They will often do this as a way to offer a solution until you are able to redesign your product using their new replacement to the discontinued part.

Distributors

Distributors may have a large supply of the discontinued part in stock, maybe enough to buy you the time you need. Manufacturers can often direct you to distributors that they have most recently shipped the part to, saving you a lot of time.

Specialty Distributors and Manufacturers

In some industries, such as electronics, there are distributors and manufacturers that specialize in obsolete components. Contacting such a company would come in handy when you have a need for a part that has been discontinued for a while.

Buyer's Guides and Directories

These are some of the more commonly known sources of finding suppliers, but not everybody knows the best way to use them. In this category most people in the manufacturing industry first think of the Thomas Register. This truly is a great source for finding new suppliers, but it has its limitations. It is a directory of manufacturers, but it has no industry focus. If you can't find what you are looking for in a general company directory such as the Thomas Register, the next thing to try is industry specific buyer's guides and directories.

Virtually every trade magazine publishes a buyer's guide edition and virtually every association publishes a membership directory. These often have more suppliers listed for the given industry and more details about them. If you don't have a copy, just call the publisher or association and you can often have a section of the buyer's guide or directory faxed to you for a modest fee. However, most buyers' guides and directories are now available on the Web.
Networking

Another good way to track down suppliers is by networking. Let's say you know of a few manufacturers that make similar parts to what you need, but not the exact part. Call those manufacturers and ask them who makes what you need. Manufacturers will often refer you to other suppliers that specialize in something that they do not. Spending an hour on the phone networking with suppliers will often bring you around to the suppliers that can help you.

Yellow Pages

If you need a supplier that is right in your general area then pick up the yellow pages and let your fingers do the walking. It is surprising how often people forget about this very useful source. In fact, for tracking down suppliers that are local to your area, this is often the best resource.

Experts, Consultants and Professors

These individuals can be invaluable in locating suppliers. Often these individuals are not just experts in their subject field, but also in the competitive landscape. Many of these individuals maintain close relationships with the suppliers in their industries. Some even maintain databases of all companies that participate in their industry.

Associations and Societies

Picking up the phone and calling an association can be a real time saver. Rather than spending time calling several manufacturers out of an associations directory, a phone call to an officer within an association can often get you a direct referral to companies that specialize in the product or service you seek.

Colleagues

The person sitting right next to you may have worked on a project at one time that has provided them with the supplier knowledge that you need.

Internet

I all ready discussed the fact that most buyers' guides and directories have an Internet based version, but there are other sources on the Internet besides these. If the suppliers you are seeking are in an industry where government research is taking place, there may be a government-funded database available. An example of this is the Nanotechnology Database sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Research Companies

There are companies that specialize in business research that can not only identify suppliers for you, but also qualify those suppliers for you as well. Services range from simply providing a list of companies in the general product/service category, to full fledged supplier qualification via research into credit and bankruptcy history, quality programs and even site visits by industry consultants.

There are probably even more ways to track down suppliers, but I think this should give you enough ammunition the next time you're faced with tracking down a new supplier from scratch.