REGULAR
The new competitive advantage
Nick Thompson, Chair of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), lets us know why getting an ‘ethical assurance’ is essential for customers.
Trust sits at the heart of successful business relationships, and for over 25 years the CHSA’s Accreditation Schemes mean buyers of cleaning and hygiene products can have confidence product from accredited suppliers is fit for purpose and of the right quality. This is a key differentiator for CHSA members in
a market too often driven by prices achieved by suppliers cutting corners.
Today, customers increasingly want more. They want to know their supplier trades ethically, that they embody their social and environmental responsibilities throughout the supply chain. Ethical assurance is the new competitive advantage.
Procurement teams are under pressure to demonstrate due diligence and reduce the reputational risk almost certain to result from poor working conditions or environmentally destructive behaviours down the supply chain. Policies and written procedures might show intent, but they are not evidence. They do not offer the guarantees purchasers need if they are to reduce their risk and protect their reputation.
A valid, independent ethical audit provides the verification buyers need to be certain their manufacturers are responsible for and scrutinise their supply chain, and their distributors take the time to do the same. This is an important differentiator and by embedding the requirement for an ethical audit in our Accreditation Schemes, we are giving our members a real competitive advantage.
Achieving effective ethical assurance is not an easy or uncomplicated process, and so we are giving members time to achieve compliance. There are a variety of ethical auditing schemes available. We have conducted in-depth research, and not all are equal. Some are robust and detailed: they involve site-based audits and cover the key issues, while others are broadly paper-based.
26 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING
To offer the commercial differentiation our members and their customers expect of the CHSA, our inspection regime assesses the quality and scope of the evidence, not the ethical audit scheme alone. Rather than simply state a recognised ethical audit scheme, our members must evidence: site-based activity; assessment of labour standards; assessment of health and safety; worker interviews where appropriate; audit findings and corrective actions where relevant; and coverage of all steps in the manufacturing process. Written policies are not enough.
The CHSA inspection process asks one clear question: does the evidence demonstrate what is happening at the manufacturing site, or just what the company says should happen?
However, as I’ve said, this can be a complex and challenging process, so we offer members additional support to help them achieve the standards we expect. The first step is to make sure members fully understand what is required.
To make sure this is the case, we have produced clear, comprehensible guidance, which explains the requirement and helps members begin the process. It details the scope of the ethical audit required for compliance with the CHSA Accreditation Schemes, and details the necessary evidence. We have also run webinars during which members can pose specific questions relevant to their circumstances.
Finally, members can commission the Independent Inspector to guide them through the process, which can reduce their risk and potential costs further down the inspection process, and improve their efficiency.
By embedding ethical auditing within our Inspection Scheme and supporting members throughout the process, we are ensuring members are not simply responding to changing market expectations – they are staying ahead of them.
www.chsa.co.uk x.com/TomoCleaning
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