What is Single Sourcing: Examples, Advantages & Disadvantages

In publishing single sourcing is defined as the usage of one solitary document to create several other documents. The user can use this single paper or document in different formats to create manual or online texts or papers.

Single sourcing is also known as single-source publishing because it uses a sole resource for using and reusing information. This also saves money, time, and effort as the chance of duplicate work are eliminated to a greater degree.

In terms of business entities, single-sourcing refers to choosing a single supplier even when other options are available in the market. There are lots of sources available in the market, but the company makes a choice of going with one company for its products, and this is known as single sourcing.

Advantages of single sourcing in publishing

Single sourcing publishing is a method that is used to manage the content from a single source. It enables the content to be used in different mediums repeatedly as it becomes the basis for other contents.

The best thing about it is that you need to carry editing work only once and then the source document can be stored and reused if necessary. It minimizes the chance of error although corrections can be made one time on the source document. Some of its advantages are as follows-

• Single sourcing means that content can be entered in one set of file. The user can use the content and develop it conveniently in other forms.
• The user has to maintain one single-source content.
• It minimizes rewriting the same content repeatedly.
• The user does not have to review the content over and over again.
• The cross-references are swapped with suitable hyperlinks

Levels of single sourcing in publishing

There are three levels of single sourcing in publishing

• Dentical Content, Multiple Media helps in minimizing production and development costs as well as the time required in its development.
• Static Customized Content helps to design the content as per the needs of the user.
• Dynamic content offers customized content to suit the need of its user.

Advantages of single sourcing in business

 Single sourcing in business has numerous advantages, and this is why an organization decides to go with it. Some of them are as follows-

• When you have zeroed in a single source, he automatically becomes responsible for the entire process. The other company cannot offer any excuses or blame others for non-performance or inefficiency in its dealings. It becomes accountable for its action, and this leads to greater efficiency in future dealings.
• Single sourcing in business results in greater visibility during operational procedures. It leads to the detection of any wrongdoings or mistakes easily. It also offers important feedbacks that can lead to smooth and better operations.
• Single sourcing is a great way to save on your costs. When you are buying primarily from a single source, you will automatically get several additional benefits from the company. You can negotiate on price, delivery, etc. as you are placing orders in bulk. It becomes easy to cut down your cost as you are dealing in large quantities.
• When you are dealing with a single source, you do not have to interact with and manage several service providers or product providers. Pricing may defer in case of all the companies, and you then have to take out average cost and then create your selling prices accordingly. In single source, you have better leverage hence can offer a competitive price to the end consumer. This increases sales figures and ultimately, revenues.
• An important benefit of single sourcing is that you have to deal with less administrative work because blanket order reduces paperwork considerably. It further becomes easy to maintain the accounting system.
• It is easy to manage the performance of a supplier as you have to track only one instead of several.
• In the case of single sourcing, you need to train one provider, and this saves money and time.
• Single sourcing helps to create a strong professional relationship that will felicitate quicker delivery of products without compromising on quality.
• It also boosts the brand image of the product because of the high customer experience and satisfaction.
• There is a lower risk of opportunistic behavior.

Disadvantages

You must have heard that one should never put all the eggs in one basket because it can prove risky for you. In the year 1998, the world-renowned brand Ford had to face serious fall-out because of its decision to opt for single sourcing.

It had to shut down assembly lines and incur a huge loss. Let’s go through some points where a business entity has decided to opt for single sourcing for its products.

• There is a dependency between the supplier and buyer that can turn risky at a future date.
• If the supply is interrupted for any reason, the business will have to face lots of difficulties as it was a single-sourcing option.
• Absence of healthy competition results in lack of interest because there is nothing to keep the supplier on its toes.
• During high demand, the buyer can face difficulty if there is only one source from where he can procure goods.
• If a business entity persists with the policy of single sourcing, other suppliers lose interest in it and stop trying to compete for further negotiations.
• If the single source faces a sudden problem or event, the buyer will also have to deal with serious repercussions.

Examples of single sourcing in business

In terms of business entity, it means that the organization is buying a particular product from a single source. Suppose you need to buy laptops for office use and have decided to purchase all the units from Sony brand then obviously Sony is your single-sourcing.

In several cases, it is seen that when a company decides to deal with single-sourcing, it opens doors for cost reduction and optimization of the supply chain. It also results in increased brand visibility.

For example, if a company which deals in motorbikes decides to single source the engines from another reputed company, it will automatically prove beneficial or both the brands. This will also increase brand awareness and customer satisfaction in the product.

Toshiba is one of the most popular brands n the world, and Toshiba Electronics has decided to go with Asyst Technologies Inc as its single sourcing for fab production in 300mm fab.

This is an example of single-sourcing where both the companies are working towards the betterment of a single product.