BEYOND THE ALGORITHM
SUSTAINABILITY
“ One of the best tools we have is to show that doing the right thing for the planet can be profitable,” he explains.
“ We’ ve proven it for decades now. Customers are putting pressure on companies to take action and that’ s a good thing. Young people are voting with their purchases and companies should recognise that customers are changing.”
The technology foundation Translating boardroom commitment into operational reality demands robust technological infrastructure. Jon Hancock, CEO of Sedex, points out that his organisation provides the very technology companies use to track ethical sourcing compliance.
“ Our Sedex Platform connects 95,000 + supply chain businesses globally, with risk assessment capabilities, supplier data-gathering and automated dashboards for compliance tracking, analysis, insights and reporting,” he notes.
The platform’ s strength lies in its integration of multiple data sources. When auditors conduct SMETA audits – the most widely used social audit methodology – their direct observations are combined with suppliers’ selfreported data, regional risk insights and other intelligence sources. As Jon explains:“ As new data becomes available, it’ s instantly integrated into risk scoring, analytics and dashboards.”
BEYOND THE ALGORITHM
Whilst technology platforms provide unprecedented visibility, both experts caution against over-reliance on digital solutions alone. Jon emphasises that“ other forms of assessment and monitoring remain vital – like in-person observation in SMETA audits and direct testimony from frontline workers.”
Different assessment methods complement each other’ s limitations.“ Blockchain is incredible for tracking the movement of inventory, but can’ t offer much about the working conditions of the people moving that inventory,” Jon notes.“ Observing working conditions can’ t necessarily tell us how those people were hired. But put everything together – including through tech-powered platforms – and a more robust picture emerges.”
This integrated approach reflects a broader principle:“ Ethical sourcing standards and initiatives don’ t sit separate from the rest of supply chain monitoring, due diligence or other procurement activities,” as Jon explains. The greatest potential of emerging technologies lies in“ integrating information from multiple sources, streamlining and scaling both data capture and analysis – to surface unique, validated insights from huge, global datasets within seconds.”
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