MEDIA RELEASE PR38677
Supply Chain Accountability Takes a Step Forward in the Electronics Industry
MONTREUX, Mar. 11 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
Achilles Information Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) to drive forward the
progress of one of the world's foremost collaborative initiatives that
tackles the complex issue of corporate responsibility in global supply
chains.
The agreement commits the signatories to developing a new vision and
three year plan for the Electronics Tool for Accountable Supply Chains
(E-TASC). The agreement also plans for a new open and flexible governance
structure capable of acting swiftly to take decisive action on the work
program that will deliver that vision.
"This agreement gives us the long term vision and the near term action
plan necessary to make a signifiant impact and drive positive behaviours in
our global supply chain." Said GeSI Chairman Luis Neves.
"The structure of the agreement means that it is transparent and open to
other committed groups from both Electronics and other Industries to join us
and shape the future of the global program" said Mike Loch GeSI Board member
and Co-Chair Supply Chain work group.
"We are delighted to see E-TASC gain this well earned recognition and
confirm its place as an industry standard tool for responsible supply chains"
said Colin Maund, Achilles' CEO.
Subscribers to E-TASC enter details of how their supply facilities manage
and improve their performance against labour, social and ethical,
environmental, and health and safety standards and share this information,
confidentially through the online tool, with their customers.
By providing the information in standard format and sharing it multiple
times with different customers, companies avoid the problem of questionnaire
fatigue and focus on building capability and improving performance.
As an online system it has the capability to rapidly reach a global
supply chain, raise levels of awareness, support risk identification and
management and start to change behaviours. As a collaborative initiative
E-TASC has the power to harness collective action to make a much larger
material impact than any single company could achieve acting alone.
E-TASC was first launched in June 2007 and implementation of the product
in supply chains has grown rapidly in recent months, as buying organisations
realise the benefits of inviting their suppliers into the system. E-TASC is
available in English and Chinese languages. The tool is managed by Achilles,
a leading provider of services in sustainable procurement that hosts
procurement systems across eight different sectors.
In December 2009 E-TASC reached 1000 supply facilities on the system and
has over 50 global brands now subscribing to it and starting to invite their
suppliers into the system: see public lisitng of E-TASC subscribers:
The system now hosts companies from over 7 tiers of the ICT supply chain
and subscribers from over 40 countries including: China, USA, Taiwan, Japan,
Germany, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Philippines.
The Achilles Group, headquartered in the UK, identifies,
qualifies, monitors and evaluates suppliers on behalf of major organisations
worldwide. The company builds and supports buyer-supplier communities in many
industry sectors, creating unique and powerful global networks. The Achilles
Group's services for sustainable procurement help create opportunities for
business and reduce risk in the supply chain.
For further information, please contact:
Charlotte Vereker,
Tel: +44(0)1235-820813,
Email: marketing@achilles.com
SOURCE: Achilles
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