We are very pleased to announce that CONNECTED, Control Union’s supply chain traceability platform, has successfully been able to map supply chains up to the origins of raw materials.
Several fibre suppliers, including Lenzing Group, Aditya Birla and ENKA International GmbH & Co. KG. have joined the platform.
CONNECTED is an open platform, allowing companies to trace a product’s journey back, from finished garment to the source of the raw materials. It also allows users to acquire a range of important data, from flows of materials to compliance information.
Every producer in the platform is linked to its suppliers or to its clients, and can receive and submit orders and shipments via CONNECTED. In addition, every user of the platform has access to local support centres managed by Control Union in all producing regions.
Franco Costantini, Senior Manager – Supply Chain Services at Control Union says: ‘We all know how complex textile supply chains are and how difficult it is to have their full and continuous visibility. This is a great achievement, particularly considering that the platform was only launched in September 2017. It is a clear sign of commitment, by the industry at large, to transparency and responsible sourcing.”
“Partnering for systemic change is a key focus area of Lenzing’s sustainability strategy called “Naturally Positive”. Lenzing believes that collaboration and transparency are a prerequisite for improving the sustainability of the textile industry. Therefore Lenzing contributes to the CONNECTED platform to ensure transparency of its fibres and their raw materials’ sustainable origins.” says Robert van de Kerkhof, CCO of Lenzing Group.
CONNECTED helps brands reach their goals of traceability and sustainability; meanwhile, producers of raw materials, such as fibres producers, can use the platform to drive and monitor the uptake of their sustainable products.
“CONNECTED has addressed an important need of traceability across the value chain by introducing a system bridge from fibre to retail. This is expected to provide visibility to sustainable innovations in fibers and also facilitate integrated solutions to the consumer.” says Manohar Samuel, President – Marketing at Birla Cellulose.
“As the textile industry is one of the most fragmented, resource-intensive and least transparent industries in the world, ENKA deeply appreciates and supports initiatives such as CONNECTED which are helping to increase visibility and transparency in our complex textile supply chain. When people are able to trace a product’s journey back, they can easily sort out the sheep from the goats. This is a crucial step on our way to improve the environmental footprint of the textile industry. As a manufacturer of sustainable fibres, ENKA has a long tradition in supporting sustainable fashion solutions.” says Till Boldt, Managing Director of ENKA International GmbH & Co. KG.
Thanks to its combination of simple design, its capacity to capture important supply chain data, and the local support provided to clients globally, CONNECTED has recorded great participation by the entire supply chains.
CONNECTED continues to grow, with new producers joining the platform on a daily basis. It is expected to expand significantly during the next few months with the registration of new supply chains and expansion to new materials.
For more information please contact Franco Costantini
fcostantini@controlunion.com.
