Brands
Brands (also called Retailers, Retail Brands, Wholesalers, Licensors, Buyers, etc.) strive to meet the demands of the end consumer. Brands create products based on the Consumers needs and requests. Brands may have vast Global supply chains with a multitude of stakeholders. The sizes of these companies vary greatly, and some have a limited compliance programs both in terms of staffing and budgeting while others have established programs.
Brands are under constant pressure from customers, NGO’s, activists, and other stakeholders who demand that their supply chains conduct business both in a socially & environmentally responsible manner. The compliance challenges that are faced by most Brands are endless. The use of Global supply chains, especially in underdeveloped countries, often produce serious concerns such as illegal subcontracting, bonded labor, polluting issues, etc. A successful compliance program or plan relieves compliance challenges and eventually maximizes supply chain productivity.
Sumerra works with global Brands in a variety of sizes. We partner with Brands and their supply chain to help them reach their compliance initiatives. Sumerra understands the compliance challenges that Brands face on a daily basis. Many of our team members have years of experience working at Fortune 500 companies in the capacity of CSR management. We have developed many of the current programs that are being used at these companies, along with policies and procedures. Our team has developed programs that help Brands meet the compliance expectations of their stakeholders.
Similar Topics:
- Audits
- Audit Tool Creation
- Collaboration
- Compliance Management
- Consulting
- Education
- Occupational Health & Safety
Factories
Factories (also called Suppliers) come in all sizes and types in all regions of the world. They produce or manufacture products to be sold by their client. These products range from parts to be assembled further down the supply chain to the actual completing fulfillment and delivery of the clients order.
Factories strive to have strategic partnerships with their brands. These partnerships are most successful when performing with the highest compliance. Many Brands choose to grow business with factories that they know are working on raising the bar on their compliance. These factories have well developed management systems that work to not only produce a good product, but also to provide a good working environment for their workers and treat their community with respect by not harming it. Any factory, even small factories with minimum budgets, can become strategic partners if they set themselves up to achieve compliance.
Sumerra understands factories and how to work with their management teams. We understand the expectations factories face from their Brands. . Our staff can educate factory management teams on how to do things right. We can work on policy & procedure development, worker trainings, self-assessments or root cause analysis to get the factory on the right path to compliance.
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Licensees
Licensees (also called Agents, Suppliers, Vendors, etc.) are an important link in the supply chain, acting as the intermediary between Factories creating the product and the Brand/Retailer selling the product. They are responsible for making sure the Brands specifications are met during production.
Licensees are responsible for their own compliance efforts through the licensing agreement with the licensor. Any serious non-compliance issues can result in a reduction in business or even the termination of the relationship. Licensees vary in size and budgets, making it harder on some to meet the compliance requirements set forth by the Licensor.
Sumerra works with a variety of licensees and budgets, either developing programs or preparing for the compliance assessments of licensors. Working with Sumerra, licensees will develop robust programs that meet the compliance requirements that the global market demands.
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Associations
Industry Associations (also called Organizations, Working Groups, Collaboration Groups, etc.) are created for the purpose of collaboration within industries. They interface with different groups (NGOs, Government, Brands, Manufacturers, etc) on issues facing their industry.
Industry Associations efforts help to produce more compliant supply chains.
Sumerra is a member of various industry trade associations. We are also actively engaged with environmental organizations. We believe that through active engagement & collaboration with these organizations we can help Brands, Factories, Licensees and ultimately workers raise the bar on their compliance efforts. Our team has the experience and expertise to lead collaborative work with different associations on a number of compliance needs.
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Auditors
Auditors (also called Third Party Auditing Companies, Consultants, Consulting Firms, 3PAs, Assessors, etc.) serve as the auditing and monitoring mechanism of the compliance industry. They work in a variety of different industries, with endless Codes of Conducts and standards, to assess suppliers. Ultimately, the main focus is ensuring that suppliers are meeting the legal requirements and standard requirements of their country and their customer.
Auditors serve an important role for the supply chain. They gauge how well suppliers are complying with laws and standards, as well as how well they are treating workers and the environment. They measure the effectiveness of Supplier’s compliance efforts and if they are meeting requirements of their customer.
Sumerra partners with Auditors and Auditing companies around the world. The main partnership is through the Sumerra Compliance Management Program, however Sumerra also regularly works with Auditing Companies on other compliance initiatives as well. Our collaborative efforts continues to grow with various Auditors and Auditing Companies as we develop new reasons for working together.