Your question is Qualify Supplier in a Volatile Region. Take a moment with it on the right.
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Meta's global infrastructure sourcing team is evaluating a new power-systems supplier for data center expansion in Eastern Europe. The supplier could reduce unit costs by 14% and improve lead times for a critical deployment supporting Meta AI and Ads capacity, but it operates in a region facing political instability, currency swings, and intermittent port closures. You are the Operations Manager responsible for deciding whether to onboard the supplier and, if so, under what launch conditions.
Infrastructure Engineering wants the supplier approved within 8 weeks to protect a Q4 capacity milestone. Global Security and Legal are concerned about sanctions exposure, employee safety during site audits, and business continuity. Finance wants the savings captured this half, while Quality insists on full validation before any production commitment. The Data Center Delivery lead is open to a phased rollout, but Procurement prefers a single-source award to maximize discounts.
You have 60 days to make a go/no-go recommendation before Meta must lock purchase orders. The remaining diligence budget is $180,000, including travel, third-party audits, and legal review. The cross-functional team includes 9 people across Sourcing, Quality, Security, Legal, and Engineering; no additional headcount is approved. A backup incumbent supplier can cover only 55% of forecast demand, and switching after award would add a 10-week delay.