# VR case study: a second supply base in India

> How SourceSquid built an Indian supply base for VR, a Dutch bicycle maker: a five-foundry RFQ, hosted factory visits and split sourcing.

Source: https://sourcesquid.co/clients/vr/

Case study · Sourcing

# A second supply base in India.

SourceSquid built a second supply base in India for VR, a Dutch bicycle maker. It started with a five-foundry investment casting RFQ and extends to the metal parts that go into every frame, fork and handlebar.

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5
    foundries quoted

4
    cities visited

1,000–10,000
    pieces per part a year

Netherlands · Specialist bicycles **VR**

  * Investment castings
  * Turned and milled parts
  * Laser-cut and welded assemblies
  * Bent tubes
  * Chrome-moly forks

The brief

## What the client asked for.

VR designs and builds specialist bicycles in the Netherlands. Every model draws on a wide mix of precision metal parts, from castings to bent tubes.

The brief: a dependable second source in India for many part families at low-to-mid volumes, with European quality from the first shipment and prices that stand up against target costs.

Requirements

### What had to be true

  * Investment castings
  * Turned and milled parts
  * Laser-cut and welded assemblies
  * Bent tubes and chrome-moly forks, at 1,000 to 10,000 pieces per part a year

What we did

## Step by step, decision by decision.

The real choices behind the result, in the order we made them.

  1. 01

### One RFQ, five foundries

One clean RFQ pack went to five investment foundries in Rajkot, Pune and Solapur, so every quote answered the same questions.

OutputRFQ pack
  2. 02

### Quotes against target prices

Every quote was modelled line by line against VR’s target prices, so the gaps and the negotiation points were visible at a glance.

OutputQuote comparison model
  3. 03

### Factories seen in person

We hosted the VR team on factory visits in Delhi, Rajkot, Pune and Solapur, so they could see each process for themselves.

OutputHosted factory visits
  4. 04

### Split sourcing

We recommended splitting the castings across qualified foundries, so volume and know-how sit with more than one supplier.

OutputSplit-sourcing recommendation
  5. 05

### Every metal part family

The same method covers turned and milled parts, laser-cut and welded assemblies, bent tubes and chrome-moly forks.

OutputSourcing plan by part family

What changed

## The results.

  * ### Five foundries on one basis

Quotes compared like for like against target prices, line by line.

  * ### Decisions made on the factory floor

VR’s team saw every shortlisted process in person, in four cities.

  * ### Resilience built in

A split-sourcing plan spreads volume and knowledge across qualified foundries.

  * ### One route for every part family

Castings first, then machined, fabricated and bent parts, on the same method.

What the client got

## Deliverables, in hand.

  * 01**RFQ pack** Drawings, materials, volumes and quality requirements in one package.
  * 02**Quote comparison model** Five foundries compared against target prices.
  * 03**Hosted factory visits** Delhi, Rajkot, Pune and Solapur.
  * 04**Split-sourcing recommendation** A clear allocation of castings across qualified foundries.

## At a glance

Client
    VR

Country
    Netherlands

Sector
    Specialist bicycles

Discipline
    Sourcing

  * Investment castings
  * Turned and milled parts
  * Laser-cut and welded assemblies
  * Bent tubes
  * Chrome-moly forks

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Services used

## The services and tools behind this work.

[Service**China + 1 and second sourcing** Add a qualified second source in India.](https://sourcesquid.co/sourcing/china-plus-one/)[Service**Hosted factory trips** Meet your suppliers with a principal beside you.](https://sourcesquid.co/services/factory-trips/)[Service**Product sourcing** Named factories, compared on landed cost.](https://sourcesquid.co/sourcing/)[Tool**Quote compare** Put supplier quotes side by side.](https://sourcesquid.co/tools/quote-compare/)[Tool**Second-source planner** Plan a dual-source split.](https://sourcesquid.co/tools/second-source-planner/)[Atlas**Investment castings in India** Where lost-wax foundries cluster.](https://sourcesquid.co/india-atlas/products/investment-castings/)

[← Previous case study**WRA** Dutch city bikes, specified line by line and built in Ludhiana.](https://sourcesquid.co/clients/wra/) [Next case study →**SCS** Supplier quality and inspections across a China-to-Mexico chain.](https://sourcesquid.co/clients/scs/)

Your turn

## Start your own program.

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