I ordered some boxed EPYC processors from an East Coast online shop who dropshipped OEM/tray processors from Ingram-Micro (a large US wholesaler of computer parts used by many small stores) thinking I wouldn't notice the difference. Either the store or the dropshipper substituted cheaper parts that don't have a warranty, so I turned around and sent them back. They can both finger-point to each other if anything goes wrong. Complete waste of time and credit card space.
In my view, a successful company should own as much of production, supply, distribution, sales, and support as close to the customer's last-mile as is pragmatic. For example, Moen (US market) plumbing fixture products seem to have excellent customer/tech support, documentation and parts dispatch. McMaster-Carr, a commercial parts and tools supplier, carries zillions of hard-to-find SKUs and dispatches them quickly. I can't see how outsourcing the most vital departments to the lowest bidder does anything but introduce potential risks for organizational self-immolation.
In my view, a successful company should own as much of production, supply, distribution, sales, and support as close to the customer's last-mile as is pragmatic. For example, Moen (US market) plumbing fixture products seem to have excellent customer/tech support, documentation and parts dispatch. McMaster-Carr, a commercial parts and tools supplier, carries zillions of hard-to-find SKUs and dispatches them quickly. I can't see how outsourcing the most vital departments to the lowest bidder does anything but introduce potential risks for organizational self-immolation.