The role of sourcing service agents in the competitiveness of Mexico as an international sourcing region

The purpose of this work was to explore and define the sourcing services of Mexican third parties in order to provide a better understanding of how they contribute to the attractiveness of the country as a low-cost production region. Given the exploratory nature of this research, the case study was the research method selected to collect relevant information. Two Mexican companies associated with global supply chains of different types—product-driven and buyer-driven—were selected as representative cases. Primary information was collected through in-depth personal interviews, site visits and secondary documents. The analysis of the two cases allowed the determination of the supplier governance structure and the assessment of the third parties’ contribution to the integration of local suppliers to global supply chains (GSC). In addition, the analysis contributes to the establishment of the value outsourcing services represent for international buyers as well.