Brooks Running is doubling down on the traceability platform TrusTrace as it looks to increase visibility into its manufacturing supply chain.
The performance brand’s expanded relationship with the software-as-a-service company, announced Wednesday, will see Brooks turn the platform to the individual product level, enabling deeper transparency on where products and materials are manufactured, TrusTrace said. At the same time, the new integration will also improve efficiency of chain of custody data collection for compliance with laws and regulations, it added.
By the end of last year, 100 percent of Brooks’ Tier 1 factories used TrusTrace. More than 130 Tier 2 and more than 70 Tier 3 factories, meanwhile, had been invited to the platform.
“At TrusTrace we have a vision of the future where all value chains are traceable, circular and fair, and we are excited to partner with Brooks to support them on their journey towards achieving transparency and their responsible sourcing objectives,” TrusTrace CEO and co-founder Shameek Ghosh said in a statement. “Through gathering granular data on where and how their products are produced, Brooks will be able to identify and work to improve the social and environmental impact of their supply chain, as well as comply with complex regulations.”
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Like many of its competitors, Brooks Running has created a list of targets and commitments around human rights and sustainability, many of which require the company to have precise knowledge of the standards at its suppliers. By 2025, for example, it intends for 100 percent of the input chemicals at in-scope factories to comply with the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MSRL). Visibility into its suppliers’ factories ensures responsible sourcing standards outlined in Brooks’ Supplier Code of Conduct—all new manufacturers must sign the document—are upheld, David Kemp, Brooks’ director of corporate responsibility, said.
“The expansive and complex nature of our manufacturing supply chain makes this visibility difficult,” Kemp said in a statement. “TrusTrace enables us to identify and mitigate responsible sourcing and business continuity risks and increase due diligence for customs compliance.”
In addition to Brooks, TrusTrace has also partnered with Adidas and, as of January, Renfro Brands. Renfro, a sock and legwear manufacturer, counts Polo Ralph Lauren and Sperry among its clients.
This story was reported by Sourcing Journal and originally appeared on SourcingJournal.com.
