When to use it
- The supplier landscape is unclear.
- Stakeholders are relying on familiar suppliers without market context.
- A category decision depends on regional, capacity, or cost-driver conditions.
Market scan
Supply Market Analysis Playbook
The playbook keeps market intelligence grounded in source notes, confidence ratings, assumptions, and open questions.
Version 1.1. Last reviewed July 11, 2026.
Overview
Structure supply-market research so sourcing teams can compare market options, supplier segments, constraints, and evidence quality.
The playbook keeps market intelligence grounded in source notes, confidence ratings, assumptions, and open questions.
Workbook example
Supply Market Scan Template in the starter kit.
Supplier segments, market structure, regional factors, substitutes, capacity signals, cost pressure, and evidence quality.
Decision or review supported: Whether the team has enough market intelligence before supplier outreach.
When it is not sufficient
It is not a full supplier evaluation, RFP scorecard, risk assessment, or legal/compliance review. It identifies market signals and evidence gaps that may require deeper specialist review.
Decisions supported
- Which supplier segments merit discovery.
- Which regions or service models may be viable.
- What evidence is strong enough to support the next sourcing step.
Inputs required
- Public supplier research
- Industry directories
- Stakeholder knowledge
- Location or demand data
- Cost-driver hypotheses
- Known constraints
Included artifacts
- Market scan worksheet
- Supplier segment map
- Evidence quality notes
- Open-question tracker
- Regional factor log
Example prompts and questions
- Is the market fragmented or concentrated?
- Are national providers using subcontractor networks?
- What substitutes or alternate models exist?
- Which claims need validation?
Illustrative use case
Illustrative example: for facilities maintenance, the market scan separates local trade firms, regional providers, national IFM providers, specialty networks, and hybrid models, then records confidence and evidence gaps for each market factor.
Common mistakes
- Copying public supplier claims without source notes.
- Treating a search summary as verified market intelligence.
- Ignoring local capacity and after-hours constraints.
- Not separating facts from hypotheses.
Frequently asked questions
Should AI be used for market scans?
AI can help summarize and compare approved source material, but a person should review sources and remove unsupported claims.
Is this a supplier risk tool?
No. It can flag risk questions, but formal supplier risk belongs in a separate review process.
Related playbooks and examples
Next step
Use the starter kit, then request the full sourcing playbook overview.
The free kit shows the workflow. The full package discussion can cover team use, advisory use, category-specific adaptations, and implementation support.