5.  Local sourcing opportunities

There's a growing tendency to believe that, with the spread of what we call "globalization", we'll find everything, everywhere and without delay. Unfortunately, experience shows that we need to be cautious in this area.

Example: you need to assemble a piece of equipment in an "emerging" country (South America, Russia, etc.). You'll need bolts, nuts, etc., or small hardware items if available in your home country. If these small items have to meet specific requirements, such as composition or mechanical strength, it is advisable to secure their supply before shipping your main equipment, and to include them with the main shipment, without forgetting to list them in the package to be submitted to the inquisition of local customs.

In some cases, you may have to justify the diversity of these ancillary products. To do this, you may need to work...