SUPPLY CHAIN MAPPING
STEPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GARMENT PRODUCTION UNITS
Content developed by the Fair Labor Association (FLA) as part of the project “Remedies Towards a
Better Workplace” with input from project partners: Hivos, Arisa, Unicef, AGT/SER, SAVE, READ, CCR
CSR, WE Fashion, O’Neill, Prénatal, Hunkemöller, FNG, Cool Investments.
For whom: for AGT signatories, FLA affiliates, brands and companies; to share with their suppliers/ CMT
units/production locations.
Objective: This document provides recommendations to
suppliers (CMT units) to improve understanding of what
supply chain mapping is and how to work together with
customers (brands and retailers) to conduct supply chain
mapping and get more in-depth insight into challenges
beyond direct suppliers. In addition, some
recommendations for improving supply chain management
are provided.
Background: Companies that signed the Dutch Agreement
on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) commit to
improving social, environmental and animal welfare risks
in their supply chains in collaboration with suppliers.
Supply chain insight, including beyond direct suppliers, is
essential in order to identify and address such risks in the
value chain. AGT companies are therefore expected to
gradually create insight into their supply chains beyond
production locations (the stage where CMT takes place).
Figure 1: Annual AGT due diligence management
This information is included in a publicly available system cycle
production location list, which can be found here.
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Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
2. WHAT IS SUPPLY CHAIN MAPPING? ...................................................................................................................... 3
SUPPLY CHAIN MAPPING AS A MEANS TOWARDS IMPROVEMENT .................................................................................... 3
3. COLLABORATIVE SUPPLY CHAIN MAPPING: A 12-STEP PROCESS........................................................................... 4
4. SUPPLY CHAIN MAPPING (SCM) – HOW TO GET STARTED AS A SUPPLYING COMPANY? ...................................... 5
STEP 1: SET GOALS ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5
STEP 2: CREATE A TEAM ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5
STEP 3: IDENTIFY ACTORS ................................................................................................................................................................... 6
STEP 4: IDENTIFY SUPPLIERS .............................................................................................................................................................. 6
STEP 5: START A DIALOGUE ................................................................................................................................................................ 7
STEP 6: SECURE COMMITMENTS FROM IMMEDIATE SUPPLIERS .................................................................................................... 7
STEP 7: INTRODUCE TOOLS ................................................................................................................................................................. 8
STEP 8: COLLECT INFO FROM DIRECT SUPPLIERS ............................................................................................................................. 8
STEP 9: GATHER INFO FROM DIRECT AND INDIRECT SUPPLIERS ................................................................................................... 8
STEP 10: ASSESS INFO AND DATA ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
STEP 11: COLLABORATE ON RISK MITIGATION STRATEGIES............................................................................................................ 9
STEP 12: DISCUSS AND DESIGN SCALING-UP STRATEGIES ........................................................................................................... 10
5. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT ................................................................10
5.1 GET INSIGHT INTO HOW SUPPLIERS AND SUBCONTRACTORS ARE SELECTED .................................................................................... 10
5.2 DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A POLICY FOR SELECTION OF SUPPLIERS AND SUBCONTRACTORS ............................................................... 11
5.3 IN-DEPTH MONITORING OF SUPPLY CHAIN BEYOND YOUR DIRECT SUPPLIER ................................................................................... 11
5.4 WORK TOWARDS COMPLIANT SUPPLY CHAINS ........................................................................................................................ 11
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING APPROACHES TO MITIGATE AND ERADICATE CHILD LABOUR ............................................................12
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING APPROACHES TO MITIGATE AND ERADICATE FORCED LABOUR ..........................................................12
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1. Introduction
As part of the project “Remedies Towards a Better Workplace”, AGT signatories took a collaborative approach to supply
chain mapping. The Fair Labor Association (FLA) provided expert support in this process. Visits were made to
suppliers (ready-made garment factories) and subcontractors/suppliers (dyeing, knitting and embroidery units) in
Tamil Nadu, India and by CCR CSR in Bangladesh.
The FLA has developed a guidance document with 12 steps for supply chain mapping which were used in the AGT
project. 1 The current document provides more information on these key steps, with supplying companies as the
main target group. The document provides explanation about the 12 steps as they are relevant for supplying
companies, including recommendations and learnings from the project.
2. What is supply chain mapping?
Supply chain mapping is an exercise in which a company
collects information on suppliers and sub-suppliers. This process
aims to increase traceability and transparency of the entire supply
chain.
A supply chain can be considered a network of people interacting
through the movement of a product or specific services from
supplier to customer.
Supply chain mapping is a continuous process which is never
finished as supply chains and business relations change all the time.
It is therefore important to take a step-by-step approach whereby
there is continuous improvement and ever-increasing insight into
supply chains.
Transparency of supply chains and supply chain actors is expected
more and more in global markets, including in Europe. Several countries have enacted specific national legislation
on supply chain disclosure. An increasing number of brands and retailers list their suppliers and production
locations online and are expected to include information about their suppliers. 2 Increased transparency of your
supply chain is likely to have business benefits, both for you and your suppliers.
Supply chain mapping as a means towards improvement
Supply chain mapping is not only about collecting the names and addresses of all units and locations involved in
the production of a certain product, or of the provided components, and raw materials. This information is a first
step for having a better understanding of the units involved and will help to define next steps.
The mapping can and should be used for supplier profiling and collecting information on a wide range of issues,
including quality, sustainability and compliance issues. This information is key for meeting sustainability standards
and for improving working conditions for all workers involved in the supply chain. More information and
recommendations for improving supply chain management are included in chapter 4.
1 Explained in the FLA Guidance paper for Supply Chain Mapping, Transparency and Traceability 1.0.
2 Example of expectations for brands and retailers: [Link]
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3. Collaborative Supply Chain Mapping: a 12-step process
From FLA’s Traceability Guidance Document
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4. Supply chain mapping (SCM) – How to get started as a supplying
company?
STEP 1: SET GOALS
Get clarity about what is expected and define your goals
• Define what you aim for by means of supply chain mapping
o Are your customers requesting information?
o Are you looking to gain more insight into your supply chain to tackle quality,
sustainability/compliance or delivery issues?
Is your customer asking for supply chain information? Get insight into what is expected!
You can think and ask about the following:
• What does your customer want to achieve with supply chain mapping? What is their purpose?
• How will your customer use the information you supply? If you have concerns, discuss these with your
customer at an early stage.
• Are you expected to provide data about all suppliers/units involved for the production of one specific
product or process? Or does your customer request information for all products they ordered or will be
ordering?
• Is the request for the past order or the full year? Or for upcoming orders?
• Do you need to get information about your main materials and component suppliers and production
subcontractors only?
• Do you need to provide the name and address of the location, or do you need to provide more information?
If so, what kind of information?
• Would your customer like to get insight in all stages of production up to the raw materials stage? Openly
discuss feasibility and potential challenges in order to manage their expectations.
STEP 2: CREATE A TEAM
Set up an internal team to take the lead in supply chain mapping
• Define who in your company needs to be involved. Think about colleagues responsible for ordering yarn or
fabric, or organising subcontracted processes (sewing, dyeing, knitting, printing, washing, embroidery,
etc.). It is also important to involve people responsible for merchandising, compliance and sustainability.
• Define what information you need or what needs to be discussed with your suppliers and who is best
placed to take this up.
• Assign specific responsibilities for the team members.
• Make sure that the team members understand the definitions, approach and challenges of supply chain
mapping.
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Have a meeting or workshop with your team to talk about supply chain mapping
Consider the following topics to discuss:
• SCM in general. Useful information can be found in this document, which explains the 12 steps of Supply
Chain Mapping, and the FLA Glossary on Supply Chain mapping.
• Reasons why SCM is or can be important for you as a company. How can collecting information about your
suppliers and subcontractors be of use and added value to your business?
• The request from the customer(s), what they want and need.
• Possible challenges/difficulties in collecting the requested information and how to overcome these.
• Tip: To support the conversation and understanding try the following exercise: split into groups of 2-3 persons and draw a
map of one of your supply chains. What are the differences? What can you learn from the different drawings?
STEP 3: IDENTIFY ACTORS
Establish external support to garner information on supply chain mapping
Discuss with the team if you need support in mapping your supply chain or setting up (documentation) systems
that ensure you have continuous supply chain insight.
• Think about what type of support you need and who would be best suited to support you, for example your
customer, a civil society organisation or an external expert/consultant.
• In case one or more of your customers are expecting you to do supply chain mapping, ask for their support.
Your customer should be able to provide you with useful tools and guidance.
• Make a list of other actors who are active in the sector or supply chains, since they may be of help as well.
Don’t forget about intermediaries like agents and traders, or associations like fabric manufacturers
associations or spinning mills associations.
STEP 4: IDENTIFY SUPPLIERS
Agree on which suppliers or part of the supply chain to focus on
• Based on the requirements and needs of the customers and the goals set, decide on what is realistic to
achieve.
• Mapping individual direct suppliers requires comparatively fewer resources than mapping those further in
the supply chain, like spinning mills and material suppliers. Companies with longstanding partnerships
and some visibility along their upstream supply chains are expected to take steps to go beyond
manufacturing units.
• Define what information you need or what needs to be discussed with your suppliers.
• Determine what information you already have available. How do you collect and manage this information?
Can this be improved? What is needed to meet the requirements?
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STEP 5: START A DIALOGUE
Visit the selected suppliers and explain well why supply chain mapping is important
Initial communication, a good explanation, trust and regular engagement are very important foundations of
ensuring successful supply chain mapping. This can be established by taking into account the following:
• Organize a face-to-face meeting and have regular interactions for follow-up.
• Be prepared to explain to your suppliers why supply chain mapping is important to your company and
your customers. Explain how you and your customer will use the provided information, and discuss how
mapping will provide them a competitive advantage.
• Provide assurance to your supplier, whether verbal or written or both, about maintaining business ethics,
confidentiality of the information gathered and respect for the business relationship between suppliers.
• Make sure that your suppliers are aware and understand your expectations.
• Sometimes subcontractors or suppliers are unwilling or reluctant to share information because of business
interests, for example because of the fear that the customer will enter into a direct relationship with their
suppliers. To overcome this, it is important to engage in regular communication, via phone or email, but
preferably face-to-face. Be prepared to explain why the information is needed and why it is important to
your business.
STEP 6: SECURE COMMITMENTS FROM IMMEDIATE SUPPLIERS
Provide reassurance and emphasize non-retaliation
• Provide support where needed and make sure that your suppliers understand the importance and benefits
of collaborating in the mapping exercise.
• In case there is information missing or if information is incorrect, provide support, ask for an explanation
and work towards improvement. Do not consider the missing information as a sign of non-compliance or
lack of trust, but as a learning point for both parties.
• Make clear that this is not purely about compliance, but about achieving continuous improvements.
• Have regular contact to secure commitment.
• In case you or your customer are planning to publish a supplier list, it is important to get permission from
your suppliers and to notify them in advance.
• It can be helpful to develop and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or contract with your
customer or supplier in which you agree that the information shared shall not negatively impact the
business relationship.
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STEP 7: INTRODUCE TOOLS
Develop and share tools that help to provide the requested information
• It is likely that your customer will provide you with tools like excel documents or a questionnaire for the
collection of the requested data. It will always be important to adjust the tools to fit your own business
characteristics and needs.
• Ensure that tools are simple and easy to use and updated at regular intervals. Ideally, the tools have an
added value for your company as well, for example to keep an overview of suppliers used, track status of
certain certifications and expiration dates, etc.
• Share the tools with your suppliers and make sure they have the opportunity to ask questions and get a
good understanding of how to use them. Be clear that the mapping process is not an audit.
• In contracts with new suppliers, it can be helpful to include conditions about providing information about
the supply chain.
STEP 8: COLLECT INFO FROM DIRECT SUPPLIERS
For the first round of data collection, start with selected suppliers
• Develop concrete action points together and agree on a realistic timeline. Have regular contact to monitor
the progress and arrange support when needed.
• Supply chains in the garment and textile sector often change. Most suppliers have relationships with their
suppliers ranging between two to 15 years. It is thus important that the information is updated at regular
intervals. The regularity of the information may vary from supplier to supplier, and depend on your
business needs, but it may be important to have the information checked every six months to one year.
Ideally a systematic approach is taken, linking, for example, supplier information in the order system.
STEP 9: GATHER INFO FROM DIRECT AND INDIRECT SUPPLIERS
Collaborate with your direct suppliers to get information about sub-suppliers
• Discuss which requirements are key to cascade in the supply chain. Support your suppliers to develop
procedures in line with your expectations.
• Involve several actors in the supply chain and let them know they are all part of this new way of working
towards progress. Ideally, the different supply chain actors should feel comfortable to provide support and
advice to each other.
• The quantity and quality of information will depend on the willingness of suppliers to be open and
transparent about their business practices. Treat suppliers as equals and avoid unannounced visits.
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STEP 10: ASSESS INFO AND DATA
If requested, share the collected information with your customer
• Make sure to assess the collected information to check if it is complete and reliable.
• In case you have not been able to collect all the requested information, or if you feel some information is
not reliable, be open and transparent about this.
• Share the information in the tools or documents as requested by your customer. Where possible share
insights and challenges.
Develop a visual map of the collected information
• After gathering all the information, it can be helpful to prepare a supply chain map (visual) providing all
the linkages between the production stages, even highlighting the complexity of the supply chain. If there
are boxes where you do not have information, leave it blank. You can add the information when it is
available.
• Amend your map when new suppliers or subcontractors are selected. Review the map, at least once every
six months, to check the supplier names and addresses are unchanged.
STEP 11: COLLABORATE ON RISK MITIGATION STRATEGIES
Discuss follow-up actions based on the mapping results and identified supply chain
linkages
• Discuss the information with your team for internal learning and for discussing next steps for further
mapping and improvement.
• Schedule a meeting with your customer to discuss and agree on the next steps.
• Mapping is a first step. Data collection on working conditions and improvement of labour and social
conditions is the second.
• Define an approach to strengthen the implementation of the Code of Conduct, local laws and social
standards.
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STEP 12: DISCUSS AND DESIGN SCALING-UP STRATEGIES
Share learnings and plan for upscaling
• Share with your suppliers the insights and learnings from the mapping exercise. Hear from them about
their experiences and challenges.
• Have a conversation about cascading further and upscaling your efforts, and about what strategies to use.
• Engage with your customers as well as your suppliers and help build capacity on sustainable labour
standards and driving behavioural changes in your supply chains.
• If faced with lack of resources (e.g. trained personnel, lack of adequate staff, budget), seek guidance from
external stakeholders like brands, international organisations, civil society organisations or expert
consultants.
Work together and stimulate others to take steps
• Encouraging transparency and selecting or awarding more business to suppliers can be very effective in
driving improvement.
• Engage support from external organisations and stakeholders (like civil society, government, unions) as this
can help you understand international and national trends.
• Engaging with stakeholders can help in all the steps mentioned above.
• More information and guidance on this can be gathered from the document on recommendations for
stakeholder engagement.
5. Recommendations for improving supply chain management
The supply chain mapping exercise done during the AGT project brought forward several lessons as to what
suppliers can do to improve management of their supply chains. Implementation of these lessons can be combined
with supply chain mapping. They will help in the development of strategies for getting better insight into the
supply chain, and have a positive impact on business relations and quality control.
5.1 Get insight into how suppliers and subcontractors are selected
• Discuss in your team how suppliers and subcontractors are selected. Is this based on existing relations, on
location, recommendations?
• Do you have any written criteria for the selection of new suppliers or subcontractors? Consider quality,
(regulatory) compliance, sustainability/certifications, etc.
• Discuss the experiences your team has with suppliers. Do your suppliers provide the quality you need? In a
timely manner? Do you have an in-depth understanding of the working conditions at the location? Where
do you see situations that can be improved?
• What could you or your team do better to work towards improved conditions at the sites of your suppliers
and subcontractors? Do they have the same standards as you do with regard to working conditions,
environmental performance, pollution prevention and animal welfare (if applicable)?
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5.2 Develop and implement a policy for selection of suppliers and subcontractors
• Develop or revise your criteria for the selection of suppliers and subcontractors. Make use of local
legislation as well as international requirements and standards that your customers request you comply
with.
• Make sure that your suppliers are aware and understand your expectations.
• Include time to clearly communicate and onboard new and existing suppliers and subcontractors about
your code of conduct (or that of your customer), requirements on supplier transparency, responsible
sourcing and production practices before placing (new) orders.
• Ensure that commitments that have an impact on your supply chain are shared and explained. Join forces
to consider how to cascade further and upscale.
5.3 In-depth monitoring of supply chain beyond your direct supplier
• Develop an action plan and allocate internal resources (such as compliance personnel) for conducting
monitoring visits of each supplier site (own units and outsourced units). For sites where monitoring visits
are not possible (due to distance, inaccessibility etc.), external support could also be sought.
• A site visit to the facilities of suppliers and subcontractors should include a walk-through of the facilities,
some interviews of management and workers and document review. It is important to be aware that these
visits are not audits. The purpose is to increase the understanding of the supplier, the processes and the
workforce.
• Develop a set of questions and data sheets for these visits. Be sure to collect information about the workers
and their demographic profile.
• Collecting information about the capacity available at the tier two supplier sites (production capacity from
subcontractors and material supply capacity from material suppliers) is recommended.
• Ensure that resource personnel are well-trained.
• In case there is a need for corrective actions or remediation-related activities, it is important to document
these, develop a plan with your supplier/subcontractor and have regular contact for follow-up and
evaluation of the measures taken.
• Tip: Use Tool 4. Collecting information from direct and indirect suppliers and their workforce.
5.4 Work towards compliant supply chains
• Gather information and resources on maintaining ethical standards at supplier sites and in the full supply
chain.
• Engage with your customers as well as with your suppliers and help build capacity on supply chain
mapping, sustainable labour standards and driving behavioural changes in your supply chains.
• Consider best practices and case studies from better performing suppliers. Think about how you can
reward suppliers that have good social and environmental practices, such as through higher order volumes
or longer-term commitments. Experience shows that assessments and audits, when paired with incentive
programs that reward sustainability efforts, are more effective for establishing ethical standards in the
supply chain.
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Examples of improvements focusing on children’s rights and forced labour
Working with your supplier to ensure children’s rights are respected
Child labour has largely been eradicated from the exporting garment manufacturers. It is known,
however, that the rights of young workers and children may be at risk in the informal sector, which may
be used for subcontracting, or in deeper tiers of the supply chain. To ensure respect of children’s rights, it
is important to engage in a dialogue with your suppliers.
Recommendations for improving approaches to mitigate and eradicate child labour
• Simply telling your suppliers about requirements to respect the rights of young workers and
refrain from use of child labour is not sufficient. Regular dialogue and clear explanations are
needed.
• Do not terminate a business relationship if a case of child labour is encountered. You will need to
work together with your supplier to remediate the issue and find a good solution for the child or
young worker(s).
• Develop procedures based on policies on child labour and other labour standards. The procedures
must include step-wise detailed processes for the factory to engage in and adhere to in their
supply chain assessment. The procedures must be practical. Make use of existing materials and ask
your customers for advice and support.
• Procedures with regard to age verification systems, minimum age of employment, display of
policies as legally required, spreading awareness amongst stakeholders (workers, family members,
external visitors), for example via posters and pamphlets, must be included and encouraged.
• Develop a policy and procedure concerning child labour removal and rehabilitation in your full
supply chain. This must include processes and procedures to be undertaken by a supplier in case a
child is identified in the supplier sites or subcontracted sites. It must entail detailed step-wise
process of the actions to be undertaken by the supplier to remove and rehabilitate the child in a
situation better than the current one. Engagement with parents, local bodies like the Child
Welfare Committee, and non-government organisations working on child labour or child
education issues, must be included as referral points.
• Interact with local stakeholders to get a better understanding of the risks for identification of
child labour and for support in remediation.
• For more information and concrete advice, see the guidance document on child labour.
Recommendations for improving approaches to mitigate and eradicate forced labour
• Develop procedures based on policies on forced labour and other labour standards.
Recommendations for the mitigation of child labour (either the same or similar) also apply in the
context of mitigation forced labour.
• For a forced labour policy, the suppliers must keep in mind the international obligations and due
diligence with regard to the Modern Slavery Act.
• It is recommended that a preliminary assessment is conducted of the issues that may lead to risks
of forced labour in the supplier database.
• Develop a better understanding of forced labour and the indicators on how to recognise these.
Information is provided in the guidance document on forced labour.
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