Do you know where the products/services that you buy come from? Who makes them? Where they’re made? How they’re made?
Supply chains are becoming increasingly extensive and complex, and as a result, the need for controls are increasing.
Consumer needs and requirements are also increasing and the consumer now wants to know if the product is sustainable, if it has been produced without violating ethical and social responsibility principles, what type of characteristics it has (if it has allergens, if it can be recycled, if it’s dangerous, etc…), if it’s a fair trade product, the quality of raw materials, etc…
Consequently, the resources that are available are important for defining what type of controls to carry out on the supply chain and for prioritising which phases of delivery are the most critical and which require greater controls.
There are methodologies that help organisations to plan and programme these types of controls. These include audits that are based on standards that already include the aforementioned criteria and that use qualified auditors and training which is tailored to each thematic area (sustainability, social responsibility, ethics, quality control, etc…).
APCER provides services in this area and has a committed and professional team who carry out these types of audits according to customer needs:
- Codes of conduct – BSCI and SMETA;
- ISO 20400 – Sustainable purchases;
- Quality control;
- Assessment of suppliers;
- Customer-specific standards;
- Others tailored to the customer needs…
Establishing a partner relationship begins with trusting your suppliers. You can count on APCER to strengthen these partnerships.