The general purpose of a supplier risk assessment is to ensure that a business is working with reliable and trustworthy suppliers. This is important because a company’s suppliers play a critical role in its overall operations, as they provide the raw materials, components, and services that are necessary to produce and deliver products and services to customers. […]
Supply Chain Management
5 Challenges When Switching From Paper-based Inspections to Digital Inspections
Table of contents Summary: Digital inspections help teams replace paper forms with faster, more consistent, and easier-to-report inspection processes. While the transition can involve change management, training, device costs, and security concerns, those challenges can be managed with the right rollout plan. Digital inspections help organizations replace slow, error-prone paper processes with faster data capture […]
On-site vs Remote Audits: Their Advantages and Disadvantages
The Covid-19 pandemic quickly pushed businesses to remote work and to digitize previously manual processes. The same was said for the business’s external and internal auditing processes. As health and safety risks of the global pandemic increased, the traditional way of auditing primarily on-site needed adjusting towards remote auditing. This is only magnified for businesses involved in a globalized supply chain that regularly audits their suppliers. […]
10 Supplier Management Best Practices
The supply chain management landscape has changed significantly over the past two years. As noted by Supply Chain 24/7, 84% of enterprise CFOs now see supply chain disruptions as moderate or severe risks. And even if suppliers don’t experience shortages or work stoppages, getting goods where they’re going is more expensive.
Transportation costs may increase by 600% compared to pre-pandemic levels. This increase is dependent on the origin and destination of goods, as well as the mode of transportation used.
The result? Supplier diversification. Companies, large and small, now understand the danger of relying on one supplier and have started using multiple suppliers. With more suppliers, however, comes more complexity, in turn creating a need for more robust supplier management. […]
Managing Human Rights and Environmental Impacts in Supply Chains: The Proposed EC Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and What it Means for Businesses with Global Supply Chains
Summary: The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, or CSDDD, requires large companies to identify, prevent, mitigate, and address human rights and environmental harms across their value chains. For procurement and supply chain leaders, CSDDD makes supplier due diligence a legal requirement rather than a voluntary ESG initiative, which raises the need for better risk […]
What is a SMETA Audit and Why You Need One
Summary: A SMETA audit is a practical way to evaluate supplier labor practices, health and safety, environmental controls, and business ethics within one widely accepted framework. For supply chain and procurement teams, SMETA audits create documented due diligence, improve supplier transparency, and support compliance with growing ESG and global supply chain regulations such as CSDDD, […]
Tier 1, 2, and 3 Suppliers: What They Are and Why They Matter for Your Supply Chain
Summary: Understanding tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 suppliers is no longer optional because supply chain due diligence obligations increasingly extend beyond direct vendors. Familiarity with lower-tier suppliers improves continuity of supply, exposes hidden human rights or environmental risks, and strengthens compliance with CSDDD, LkSG, CSRD, and UFLPA expectations. For procurement teams, multi-tier supplier […]
The Global Impact of The German Supply Chain Act (GSCA)
Summary: The German Supply Chain Act affects not only large German companies but also the global suppliers that support them, making human rights and environmental performance a direct business requirement. For supply chain managers, LkSG means supplier risk now includes documented due diligence expectations that can cascade across tiers and borders. Companies selling into Germany […]
Certainty and DNV Webinar: The importance of supplier due diligence, quality assurance, and compliance management
Summary: The due diligence process has become a critical quality management challenge as regulations including Germany's Supply Chain Act, the EU CSDDD, and the EU CSRD now require companies to document active due diligence across their entire value chains. For QA Managers and Quality Engineers, this Certainty and DNV webinar addresses the intersection of supplier […]
Audit Types Explained: What You Need to Know About First, Second, and Third-Party Audits
Auditing is a process of verifying and evaluating a business’s compliance, quality, and performance. However, there are different types of audits that serve different purposes and have different requirements. In this blog post, you will learn what first-party, second-party, and third-party audits are, how they differ, and why they are important for your business […]
The Supplier Compliance Audit: What it is (and Why You Need One)
Summary: A supplier compliance audit verifies whether suppliers meet regulatory, contractual, environmental, labor, and quality requirements with documented evidence rather than assumptions. For supply chain managers, regular supplier compliance audits are now essential for reducing supplier risk and meeting CSDDD, CSRD, and LkSG due diligence expectations. A strong audit process improves accountability, protects market access, […]
What is a Supply Chain Vulnerability Assessment?
Summary: A supply chain vulnerability assessment helps organizations identify and prioritize the weak points most likely to disrupt operations, from single-source dependencies and cyber risk to regulatory and geopolitical exposure. For supply chain managers, vulnerability assessment is increasingly part of formal due diligence because regulations such as CSDDD and LkSG require companies to find and […]
Understanding Social Compliance And Self-Audits
Summary: A social compliance audit evaluates whether a business meets ethical labor, health, safety, and environmental standards set by bodies like SEDEX, SAI, and RBA. This guide covers internal self-audit processes, external audit procedures, and key standards to help your organization maintain compliance. A social compliance audit verifies that your business meets ethical labor, health, […]
Seeing is Succeeding: Why Supply Chain Visibility Matters
Summary: Supply chain visibility is the ability to see the movement, status, and risk profile of materials, suppliers, and compliance activity across the supply network. Strong supply chain visibility helps companies detect delays earlier, respond faster to disruptions, and verify supplier performance against regulatory and ESG requirements. For procurement and supply chain teams, visibility is […]
Supply Chain Disruptions: What They Are — And How to Avoid Them
A supply chain disruption is any event that interrupts the normal flow of goods, materials, or services between suppliers, manufacturers, and end customers. From geopolitical conflicts and regulatory shifts to natural disasters and cyberattacks, disruptions can range from minor delays to complete supply chain breakdowns. According to the World Bank, global supply chain pressures remain […]
