Fashion

In fashion, responsibility extends beyond the first supplier. Knowing the full supply chain allows a manufacturer to account for its work to brands, inspection bodies and buyers. Missing information about second-tier subcontractors is also a gap in control.

Constraints to address together

The supplier network changes often. External workshops, second-tier subcontractors and last-minute seasonal contractors need to be recorded as work changes, rather than reconstructed when an audit request arrives.

Brands carry out audits. They apply their own criteria, including working conditions throughout the chain. Passing is a condition of remaining an approved supplier.

Seasonal deadlines leave little room. A software rollout must fit between collections because delivery dates do not move to accommodate it.

Where we begin

With a supply chain map: who carries out each stage, at which site and under which contract. Other assessments depend on that information.

Documentation then needs a process for updates when suppliers change. A file prepared for one audit can be out of date three months later; linking records to orders makes changes easier to trace.

Digitalization can support audits and reduce daily administrative work for supervisors. When it does both, the business can sustain it during busy seasons and use its compliance record in commercial discussions.