What Google doesn’t tell you (and how to fill the gaps)

Let’s talk about suppliers.

They’re the quiet backbone of your products—but often the shakiest part of your value chain.

From tariffs and regulations to unexpected shutdowns, clients are asking us the same question over and over again.

How do we future-proof our supply chains?

Here’s what we’ve learned from helping dozens of companies—from global CPG brands to chemicals and materials giants—unmask the real story behind suppliers.

In the spotlight:

In a recent interview, I spoke to two industry pros who’ve each worked on hundreds of projects, helping the world’s top companies with their supplier challenges.

• Marija Jović, Technical Director of Chemicals, Materials and Packaging at PreScouter 
• Daniel  Morales, Technical Director of Consumer Packaged Goods at PreScouter

The first thing we’re seeing: Supplier needs are shifting

Gone are the days of simply asking “Who can make X?”

Now it’s: “Who can make X, in a low-carbon way, in a different geography, with verified track record and resilience to regulatory risk?”

“We’ve seen a huge uptick in supplier searches driven by sustainability goals, EPR legislation, and even AI-readiness of software tools used in supply chains.”

– Daniel Morales

“It’s not just regulatory pressure—it’s companies wanting to lead with integrity. They want real sustainability, not just compliance.”

– Marija Jović

Case in point: Low-carbon alternatives

One recent project tackled a massive challenge—replacing high-volume raw materials with lower-carbon equivalents. The goal: keep performance, cut emissions.

We didn’t just surface a couple options. We found over 100 viable replacements – 90% of which were already commercially available. That surprised even us. It showed how much innovation is already out there – if you look deep enough.

We also mapped pilot-scale and emerging solutions, creating a full landscape from now to next. The whole thing went straight to procurement.

What makes supplier work hard?

It’s not the search – it’s the evaluation.

Every client has their own stack of criteria:  Cost. Lead time. CO₂ impact. Certifications. Use case relevance. Compatibility with existing lines. Sometimes 20+ parameters.

PreScouter’s job? Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves, and design a scoring framework to narrow hundreds of options into 3–5 top candidates.

Then the team verifies the claims.

“Most of the important data—price, capacity, reliability—isn’t public. We get it through anonymous outreach and subject matter expert interviews.”

– Marija Jović

Sometimes, that includes requesting samples for client testing. Especially with startups, you can’t take their ‘yes’ at face value. And a pretty website doesn’t mean reliable performance.

So, how do we go from shortlisting to selection?

We look beyond the datasheet.

Do they have relevant case studies? Are their certifications real?
Have they worked with similar clients—or are they just eager and unproven?

And perhaps most revealing: What do experts in the field say about them?

“We often interview industry insiders who’ve worked with the supplier. They’ll tell us about delivery delays, adaptability, customer service—and even red flags like past legal battles.”

– Daniel Morales 

Where AI fits in

AI has become an accelerant, but not a replacement.

It helps us scan thousands of pages, websites, filings, and spec sheets. It clusters suppliers, flags risks, and even helps build supply chain roadmaps to anticipate issues 5 years down the line.

But it’s only as good as the data it can access.

“The better a supplier’s site, the better the AI performs. But ironically, the best suppliers are sometimes the least visible.” 

– Daniel Morales

Which is why we still rely on human judgment and interviews to surface the real gems.

What happens after you pick a supplier?

This is where things get nuanced.

We don’t just hand over names. The PreScouter team supports sample testing, facilitates anonymous introductions, manages NDAs, and even guides early prototyping and scale-up conversations.

In other words: the team bridges that final mile—from supplier match to real-world validation.

What’s next?

Here’s where things get exciting.

We’re seeing clients tap into legacy knowledge – lab notebooks, old supplier lists, internal notes – then run AI over it to surface lost insights.

One client rediscovered a high-potential supplier they’d worked with years ago – one no one in the current team remembered. That’s the power of putting data to work.

PreScouter is also helping clients build systems for continuous monitoring:
Where AI runs in the background, watching for signals like IP filings, capacity shifts, or regulatory changes – and flags when it’s time to revisit the supplier pool.

This is what unmasking suppliers really looks like:
It’s detective work. Strategic foresight. A blend of AI, science, and judgment.

And it’s something we love doing.

P.S. If this was useful, consider forwarding it to someone in procurement, supply chain, or product development. Or better yet, share it on LinkedIn and tag us.