Today, a significant amount of work goes into managing supply chain traceability for compliance and often results in increased costs in time and effort. With rising pressures from the government agencies and human rights groups, companies must collaborate with suppliers to get the required data that indicates whether their products contain specific ingredients that are restricted in certain countries and regions.
For instance, the Dodd-Frank Act in the United States that now requires retailers to report traces of tin, tungsten, tantalum and/or gold sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo and surrounding nations (known as conflict minerals) in their products. Brands and retailers are finding it difficult to get their suppliers 100% on-board with this conflict-free compliance program due to the overwhelming costs and commitment that is required.
Sending requests to hundreds of suppliers while keeping track of responses, accuracy of their feedback, commitment deadlines, and regular updates can quickly become a logistical nightmare. Most often a majority of the industry’s brands and retailers will execute this activity between their suppliers, typically through email and spreadsheets, which in turn is both inefficient and a drain on productivity.
ecVision offers a next-generation, low-cost solution for brands and retailers that improves compliance accuracy while delivering real value and efficiency to their suppliers. The Conflict Minerals ComplianceTM platform allows brands and retailers to have seamless access to their supplier network and can initiate a request for information within the portal that in turn simplifies the due diligence reporting process while increasing supply chain traceability.
This solution allows the industry to address the many challenges of traceability through next-generation features for both retailers and suppliers including:
Brands and Retailers:
- A low-cost, annual subscription regardless of user count
- To visualize their supplier base on a map
- Invite suppliers to register on ecVision Community™
- Share the industry standard Due Diligence Survey Report with suppliers of all levels
- Monitor and track supplier acknowledgement of receipt
- Review and approve suppliers’ surveys
- Generate a range of reports, including pending and / or completed form submissions, and reportable products for the SEC
Suppliers:
- Free access to the platform by invitation from current customers (agents, brands and retailers)
- Create a supplier profile with complete product and other information on the portal
- Download and complete the due diligence survey offline
- Upload and share completed surveys with any related brands or retailers using the system
- Create and view reports on submission and approval status
All brands and retailers face the common challenge of communicating with their supply chain. This platform gives brands holistic visibility all the way down to their suppliers’ suppliers to establish full compliance.
