The Coming Traceability and Transparency Wave
The Traceability wave is upon us. You can get ahead of it and surf or be tossed on the shore.
Traceability is the ability to see a product’s journey from the finished product all the way back to the raw material, and all the processing and transportation in between. It requires an understanding of your supply chain along with the documentation to prove chain of custody of your product.
Transparency is what you choose to disclose to the public or to your stakeholders. As regulations and policies roll out, brands and suppliers without the means to share and verify where their product is coming from and who is making it will face serious consequences.
Who is asking for Traceability?
Consumers are more alert to greenwashing claims, human rights issues, and what their dollars are supporting than ever before.
Governments are instituting restrictions to manage which products, from which sources, are allowed to enter.
Brands and Retailers are beginning to build traceability protocols and requirements throughout their supply chain to comply with global regulations.
What elements should be a part of your traceability initiative?
Strategy: Creating a Traceability & Transparency Strategy that is embedded in your company’s corporate strategy, satisfies legal regulations, and anticipates compliance policies.
Mapping: Building an understanding of your supply chain all the way back to the origin of the raw materials
Technology: Identifying an appropriate technology solution for managing documentation & transparency requirements
Organization: Defining new and different Roles and Responsibilities for your teammates and partners to execute your Traceability & Transparency Strategy.
How can Zefyr Consulting help you navigate the wave?
Zefyr Consulting along with our partner Lake Advisory will help you navigate the still murky and misunderstood area of Supply Chain Traceability & Transparency. We provide you a fundamental understanding of Traceability – what it means and basic principles (traceability vs transparency, requirements, claims, and evidence) so that you can start from a position of knowledge.
Then we dive deep with you on your specific needs, supply chain nuances, and concerns. We align Traceability to your company’s strategy and mission rather than put it on a document somewhere as a bolt on, destined to be forgotten.
And importantly, we help you understand the trade offs and impacts of transitioning to this new way of working – from cost of implementation, to speed, and to scope (all at once or layer by layer).
Our team has both experience in Supply Chain Traceability and Strategic Partnerships in place to get you going, regardless of when and where you start. We help companies set their strategy and execution because we’ve been with other players who have been through this – including major brands, Customs officials, and technology providers. And we can support Supply Chain partners at any point in the process – from origin through to retail – to create their own approach, either designed for their purposes or to align to the requirements of others.
Traceability Strategy, including “why” and “for whom”
Current state analysis and gap definition against Government and Partner requirements (What are you doing today compared to what regulatory or customers are asking for?)
Implementation plans to narrow gaps, including new Processes and Roles and Responsibilities
Technology roadmaps to support process requirements & risk management
Are you ready for the wave? Contact us today to get started on assessing your capabilities in this area.