Supplier of a supplier still the problem of the manufacturer
30th October 2007 by Gail Van Den Bos
A recent article in The Observer newspaper in the UK, highlighted how a supplier to Gap Inc. had sub-contracted their work to another supplier where child labour was apparently found in use. No matter how many codes and guidelines they have and whatever public declarations on social responsibility they make, procurement organisations will run the risk that their reputation can be put on the line at any time by the actions of others, when working in certain areas. And that risk increases when sourcing cheap production in countries known to have child labour issues. If working in these areas, vigilance will be needed when selecting suppliers and from monitoring programmes.
Gail Van Den Bos is Product Manager for customised supply chain services across LRQA,and works to ensure the technical integrity of these services worldwide.