Sourcing & Social Compliance: Working with our Suppliers for a Better Tomorrow
As sports apparel innovators we excel at balancing our customer expectations with our supply chain capabilities, which includes pushing our factories to be their best in prioritizing safe and healthy working conditions. Not only is it the right thing to do but it is the expectation of consumers. They are now more informed than ever and are increasingly prioritizing purchases with brands they believe share their same values. We know what you’re thinking, it’s hard to please everyone. And you’re right. It is impossible to meet the exact values of every consumer, but you can understand the market trends, and align your social compliance stance to stay competitive in the evolving ethically conscious consumer market.
There are standards and criteria already set by amfori and its Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), an industry-driven movement that aims to monitor and assess workplace standards across the global supply chain. SCI is an amfori member and we schedule our BSCI audits with amfori’s approved audit companies. Based on the audit reports, we can request or require a Corrective Action Plan, “CAP,” by the factory. In the event we need to require a CAP, we first consider that our factories are community hubs in manufacturing towns. With this detail top of mind, we prioritize working with the factory owners and management to improve their audit rating in order to keep jobs local and their communities thriving. We believe this approach will only continue to make the world a better place.
Our factories practice a high degree of social compliance as it is a crucial piece in our supply chain considerations. As mentioned above, the global standard test that is conducted by a third party through our amfori membership is routinely passed by our factories. This standard puts us and our clients at ease knowing that they won’t be the face of a corporate crisis. Further, we work strategically with factories in six different countries to help mitigate potential problems such as geopolitical issues or labor shifts. We’re invested in the factory communities and continuously build rapport to keep customer, factory owner, and manager satisfied.
Sourcing and social compliance are just pieces of the supply chain logistical puzzle, but it’s where we push our community of factories to do their best. We believe we can drive change at the local level and provide good jobs and a stable economy, regardless of geography. With this humanist approach, the SCI objective is to provide the best products for our customers, in a healthy supply chain eco system.
Want to hear more about our sustainability and social compliance practices? Contact us here for more information.