How Transparent is Your Supply Chain?

Transparency is a term that's thrown around a lot these days in relation to global supply chains. Put simply, a transparent supply is one where information about suppliers and sourcing locations is readily available to pretty much anyone who wants to see it - a concept whose popularity has been largely driven by consumers' desire to know more about the origin of the products and services that they're buying and using.

In Providing clarity on supply chain transparency Sedex's Mark Robertson, discusses the importance of transparency, the role it plays in responsible supply chain management, and how companies can drive transparency through all tiers of their supply chains.

"Pressure on companies to be transparent about the risks that exist within their global supply chains has arguably never been greater," says Robertson. From new legislation, such as the Dodd Frank Act, the California Supply Chain Transparency Act, and the UK Bribery Act, to consumer, media, and other stakeholder pressures, Robertson says companies are expected to be aware of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues within their multi-tiered networks of suppliers. 

Without supply chain transparency, Robertson says responsible sourcing programs are unattainable. And without accurate, accessible data - often generated by and housed on ERP systems like Microsoft Dynamics - Robertson says transparency is too often just lip service. "Transparency won't happen if you don't have the large systems managing the data," says Robertson. "You simply can't pinpoint risk if you don't have the systems that can speak to one another and recognize trends and potential problems."

In 5 Ways ERP Software Can Help Manage Supply Chain Risk, The Brunswick Group points to ...