As transparency dominates the supply chain industry in 2021, companies are moving more towards the trend in every aspect of the business. The importance of this trend came from the needs to save current environmental resources, put in place fair working practices, know where shipments are in the track and trace process, buy high quality and healthy goods for the consumer, and prevent brand theft on the side of the business. Here are 7 companies that have taken supply chain transparency to a personal measure and made their brand successful in terms of customer satisfaction, fair working practices, environmental kindness, and brand protection.
1. Minnetonka
Minnetonka is a family owned company that was founded in 1946 and sold moccasins in a road-side gift shop. As of now they have branched out to retailers and customers through their online marketplace. Although not Native American owned, they love Native American culture, which was the original inspiration for the products for their business. Because of the former repression of Native American culture, Minnetonka does their best to collaborate with Native American business partners and workers, giving everyone a chance at fair contribution.
Minnetonka’s materials and craftsmanship principles can be found publicly, emphasizing the quality and care that goes into each item. Their products are high quality, long lasting, and for the price, very worth it. They have a public reputation for treating employees and customers very well and knowing about their personal story, how things are made, and where they come from, is a significant reason why people continue to trust Minnetonka’s brand.
2. Luxy Hair
Luxy Hair began as a family owned company that started out wanting to make high quality hair extensions for women. Their company’s standard was to increase the self-confidence of every woman and that anyone should be able to have “the hair of their dreams.”
Luxy Hair is built on empowering the customer, as a friend. Their relationships with their employees and customers are their most important asset. They treat human beings as human beings. In fact, they were recently Great Place to Work Certified in Canada.
From having their factory on display online to promote transparency, to telling the story of how their hair comes from real women, women who are raising children and grandchildren and cannot work, temples for their source of revenue, and hair salons to avoid waste, factory workers who are paid well and treated fairly, to packaging that is environmentally friendly, down to the soy ink on the writing. Their track and trace system is also transparent, with a friendly staff that helps with the shipment, internationally, every step of the way.
They sell direct to consumer so there are no costs in between and so they know what is going on in the whole process, with every material and employee. Their family brand has been well known for many years, as they release personal blogs of their travels, tutorials, nutrition, and life experience tips. The founders interact with people at a human level, unlike when consumers have no idea who the CEO is of a retailer. The brand is people based instead of money based. And now it has become the #1 hair extension brand in the world and it all came from transparency.
3. May Lindstrom Skin
May Lindstrom Skin was created by said founder as she navigated her way through skin allergies and wanted a better skin regimen alternative to the toxic products that were available by retailers. Before the world changed to transparent, organic, animal friendly, and human friendly, there were not many options in the 90’s. May Lindstrom had no advantages of the internet and didn’t take scientific courses. She worked hard blending products as a makeup artist that worked well for her skin. When testing the products out on others, they encouraged her to put them to sale.
Because of May’s constant discomfort physically and emotionally from over the counter skin products, she had to become her own formulator. This made her business a people business. She has been transparent with her stories and her materials and her basis of the products are making people feel good. From the non-toxic elements she blends herself, to the black glass bottles that protect from UV light, which could damage materials, to the transparent shipping process, May has a personal relationship with her customers because they are people first.
“I am committed to doing all I can to help pain disappear, emotionally and physically, through resonant skincare.”
After acquiring more tools and resources, going from having nothing to entrepreneur, she has dedicated herself to formulating for post-chemotherapy skin, severe acne, post-burns, and trauma, for reaching as many people as she can to improve the quality of their lives.
4. Unilever
Moving onto bigger corporations, Unilever was the first to give a full list of palm oil suppliers and grievance reports publicly, if any issues arose. They have a commitment to ending deforestation and at least they can make their mark in their field.
In a news post on Unilever's website they say, “We did this because we believe that transparency leads to transformation.”
This is true and new transparent measures will be the transformation of the supply chain industry in 2021. Using AI (through satellite mapping) of forests, they can achieve their transparent goal. They are even tightening their traceability efforts to be sure their ingredients are coming from a transparent location.
5. Burt’s Bees
While Burt’s Bees is commendable for their natural, high quality products, they have gone even further in adding sustainable packaging to their products. 89% of their packaging is recycled material and they have removed most excessive packaging from many of their products, including shrink wrap, by just extending their label. They also aim for less than 10% byproduct waste in their materials.
Burt’s Bees put out sustainability reports in 2012, 2016, and 2018 regarding their global sustainability goals.
6. Nike
Nike’s genius manufacturing map is at the top of the industry in terms of geographic and transparency knowledge for the consumer. Their global sustainability goals are being reached every day through their consistency in providing the best working conditions for employees, serialization for their products, and quality goods for their consumers to enjoy. Moreover, they have a transparent track and trace system where anyone can look up their package online and find exactly where it is. They have built up a customer trust system that is unique from any other brand.
7. Tiffany’s
Tiffany and Co. is now the leader of diamond traceability. According to their corporate responsibility reports, 100% of their diamonds now are Kimberly Process Certified to disrupt the conflict diamond trade. They can also trace over 98% of their raw precious metals to a mine directly or a recycler. Tiffany’s also has blue paper packaging that aligns with the Global Reporting Initiative Standards. They have even changed to LED lighting in many of their retail stores to reach their energy goals by 2020.
Tiffany’s has gone as transparent as possible from diamonds, to metal, to packaging, to lighting. Their traceability standards are at the top of their industry and they strive to continue to increase sustainability however possible with the changing future.
Supertrace’s track and trace software system can help with transparency needs in the supply chain to improve the quality of life for consumers as well as employees, protecting the product and the band, while building consumer trust. Not only can it track materials in the supply chain, but increase the transparency across the whole supply chain, ensuring traceability efforts and transparency goals will be met through adding any information about products and workers of the company’s choosing, and adding videos and personal stories about the process as well. Supertrace is the answer to having a traceable, reliable, and transparent supply chain.
