Vendor managed inventory moves the replenishment decision to the supplier — but whether it improves your working capital depends on who owns the stock. Here is how VMI differs from consignment and bill-and-hold, the three cost lines it changes, what to check in the contract, and a five-question test for your own component portfolio.

Freight rates that can no longer be forecast, CBAM moving from reporting to invoiced cost, and customer documentation demands that intermediaries slow down — three pressures are pushing European procurement teams to move component sourcing closer to home in 2026. Here is what changed, how nearshoring compares to far-East sourcing on total cost, and a five-question test you can run on your own component portfolio this week.

Freight rates that can no longer be forecast, CBAM moving from reporting to invoiced cost, and customer documentation demands that intermediaries slow down — three pressures are pushing European procurement teams to move component sourcing closer to home in 2026. Here is what changed, how nearshoring compares to far-East sourcing on total cost, and a five-question test you can run on your own component portfolio this week.