The Thomas Blog

How To Find Veteran-Owned Suppliers on Thomasnet.com

Whether you're in need of new blood in your supply chain or trying to build up your list of diverse suppliers, Thomas can help save you time and hassle in sourcing exactly what you need. Thomasnet.com^® offers detailed information on North American companies in over 75,000 categories of products and services, not to mention our CAD file library, whitepapers, and guides. In this article we're here to show you how to make the most of Thomasnet.com's features by covering the basics of finding and sourcing from the 6,200+ veteran-owned companies on our platform.

How To Become A Supplier For Big Companies

Becoming an approved supplier for a large global company can change your business dramatically, but landing a big customer takes far more than a hello and a handshake.

If you want your company get selected in the buying process, we have insights and tips to share — below, we'll talk about how big companies choose new suppliers, along with what manufacturers and industrial companies can do to increase their chances of earning new business from them. 

Strategic Approaches To Common Sourcing Scenarios

Strategic sourcing is all about generating a return on investment for every sourcing initiative. However, different sourcing scenarios require different investments — in terms of time, effort and resources. Therefore, it’s important to approach each situation differently to produce the best results.

Here are four common sourcing scenarios, along with proven advice you can use to ensure an optimal return.

8 Ways Thomas Can Help You Supercharge Industrial Sourcing

Here at Thomas, we've been powering North America’s largest and most active network of B2B buyers and industrial/commercial suppliers for over 120 years. We understand how hard it is to find the best and most reliable suppliers.

That's why we developed the Thomas Network to help you search for qualified manufacturers, distributors, and service companies - and it's completely free to use. There are some parts of our site that require registration to access, such as viewing suppliers’ certifications and downloading white papers, but registration is simple and free. We know you're busy, so let us quickly walk you through our top eight features you can try today:

Three Logistics Lessons Black Friday Can Teach Manufacturers And The Supply Chain

The shopping frenzy known as Black Friday is almost here. While you will probably see lots of stories about long lines and huge crowds tussling over the latest toys and electronics, there is another story taking place behind the scenes — one of careful planning, lots of moving parts, and plenty of risks. It’s a story of logistics.

How To Take An Employee-Centric Approach To Change Management

In today’s increasingly dynamic and ever-changing market, organizational change isn’t only to be expected; it’s essential. However, change isn’t always easy, and it’s important to understand how different employees will respond in order to implement and manage change effectively.

What's The Problem With Volume Commitments?

You just signed a contract that you feel will produce significant savings for your organization through category-level discounts.

Across the table is a supplier who is excited about guaranteeing increased spend. It sounds like a win-win. However, there’s a catch – the contract includes a volume commitment – and it could potentially damage your relationship between you and your supplier irrevocably.

Learn How to Reset Password on Thomasnet.com

Wonder how you can reset your password on Thomasnet.com? Follow our easy step-by-step guide.

Getting To Know The Future Of Supply Chain

The fact is that the procurement and supply chain profession is in the midst of a revolution, getting more global, analytical, and tech-savvy than ever before. It’s also getting younger — 40% of the buyers on the Thomas Network at Thomasnet.com are between the ages of 18 and 34.

This emerging generation of professionals aren’t just up-and-comers — they’ve arrived. Many are in leadership positions, heading up initiatives and driving discussions on the other side of your negotiating table. Knowing what makes them tick can help you forge better relationships with these important players in the supply chain.