Chapter 4 — full chapter
4.3.1 Define what to ask for
Start with what you actually need. A long, all-purpose questionnaire tends to overwhelm suppliers and produce incomplete answers. Instead, start with what is required for the products and obligations relevant to your business.
Potential Supplier Data Starting Points. The below lists information companies may consider requesting from suppliers, which should be adapted to the specific product, supply chain and applicable requirements.
Basic supplier information
- Legal company name
- Address
- Manufacturing site
- Contact person
- Role in the supply chain
Material information
- Fiber composition
- Material specifications
- Recycled content, where relevant
- Material certifications
- Country/origin information where required
- Relevant processing information
Chemical information
- Relevant substances and treatments
- Evidence of compliance with applicable restrictions
- Relevant declarations or test results
Production information
- Manufacturing location
- Production process
- Relevant subcontractors, where required
- Product/component traceability
A supplier statement is not the same as evidence. Imagine a supplier tells a brand: 'This fabric is 100% recycled polyester.' The brand now has a statement. But what supports it?
- a certification;
- a transaction certificate;
- a material specification;
- a test report;
- a supplier declaration; or
- another recognised form of evidence.
The appropriate evidence depends on the specific claim and regulatory requirement. The practical lesson is to not collecting claims separately from the evidence supporting those claims.
4.3.2 Structuring the relationship
Starting the supplier conversation upstream. A brand’s sourcing team usually has a direct relationship with its Tier 1 supplier, the garment manufacturer. But the information a DPP needs, such as where a fibre originated or what chemicals were used in processing, often sits two or three tiers further up a supply chain the brand has never directly contacted.
4.3.2 Putting it into practice
Reflection Prompts: Draft your supplier request
- What information do I need, and why?
- What evidence should the supplier provide, and who should send it?
- What would trigger an update, and how will I store the response?
- What happens if the supplier cannot provide it?