Transparency Across The Supply Chain – The Fashion Revolution
April 24, 2013, was a dark day for the fashion industry. The Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh killed 1,134 and injured more than 2,500 people. It was the catalyst for the launch of a global campaign to encourage consumers to ask “who made my clothes?” The Fashion Revolution demands complete transparency of supply chain traceability, across the entire fashion supply chain. We’re proud to add Gravity Supply Chain Solutions’ voice to those of hundreds of companies across 80 countries. We want to create a global community to repair the fragmentation that makes providing supply chain traceability so arduous.
The Fashion Revolution began as a one day campaign in 2013. Last year, the movement almost broke Twitter. The hashtag #whomademyclothes had a reach of 63 million, 124 million potential impacts, and trended worldwide on Twitter on April 24, 2015. This year it evolves into Fashion Revolution Week that runs the entire week of April 18-24. The Huffington Post just ran a Q&A with co-founder Carry Somers. It’s well worth a read, check it out here.
Fragmentation Of Fashion Industry
The industry knows customers demand traceability, but meeting those expectations is much easier said than done. Behind the Barcode, reports 48 percent of fashion companies, cannot trace the origins of their products.
Why is that so difficult? It’s due to the fragmentation of people, processes, platforms, and standards; with suppliers scattered around the world, and sometimes in remote areas, there is a need to overcome geographic, language, skill, and access barriers. This issue is challenging for larger companies dealing with multiple tiers of suppliers and resources, but supply chain fragmentation also plagues mid- and small-cap companies who do not have the influence or sway on their supply bases, to adopt one set of standards.
It’s this lack of an agreed-upon global standard, that fosters fragmentation. For example, most significant retailers utilize specific standards, measurements, and ways of reporting, and it’s up to their supply bases to try to meet those differing and incomparable standards – a Herculean task.
So, supply chain actors worldwide, need to take two significant steps: commit to a global chain of custody standards; and collect and validate data.
That requires the creation of an accurate digital network that enables supply chain managers to collect, analyze and share information in real time with their partners, so allowing them to react to sudden opportunities and risks.
That’s why we’re working to create the Gravity Community! It will enable you to connect and collaborate with all users, including those outside of your network.
Companies that embrace supply chain traceability will be better able to meet their sustainability policies and their customers’ high expectations. We encourage you to join the Fashion Revolution and to ask your partners and customers, to learn about the real people throughout your supply chain. #whomademyclothes
