The client needed three material categories plus a converting partner — each sourced from a completely different segment of the nonwoven and absorbent materials industry, with different market structures and supplier concentrations. The overall pass rate: 2.2%.
We built four independent screening funnels, each with its own stage-tracking: initial screening, in-depth technical engagement, sample evaluation, and primary candidate confirmation — narrowing progressively at each gate. The topsheet funnel revealed a critical fact: over half of all contacted suppliers — all holding proper industry credentials — could not meet diaper-grade performance requirements. Most primarily served feminine hygiene, where material specifications differ significantly from diaper applications.
Each material category has a different market structure: topsheet suppliers are highly concentrated, with very few globally capable of diaper-grade production; backsheet suppliers are relatively fragmented. The screening strategy must adapt to each structure rather than applying a single process across all categories.
By week 8, we brought the client to the largest industry exhibition in Asia for on-site verification — visiting dozens of booths across 3 days, transforming desk research into physical validation — applying the same rigor used in four-stage supplier screening and hybrid on-site assessment.
