As a conscious consumer, have you ever wondered where your favorite products come from? With the growing concerns regarding ethical sourcing, consumers are becoming aware of their purchases and the story behind the sourcing of their products.
Obtaining authentic and trusted suppliers can be incredibly challenging. Keeping track and confirming if they follow all the rules, standards, and certifications as well as categorizing, and assessing suppliers for ethical and sustainable products is a big task.
This is where Blockchain Technology comes into the picture. The evolution of blockchain technology took place in 1991 and it came into the limelight in 2008 with the exponential popularity gained by Bitcoin- a blockchain-based cryptocurrency.
Today, blockchain technology has grown exponentially across significant sectors, including the fashion industry beyond the digital currencies.
If you are wondering about how blockchain technology intersects with the fashion industry, check out our insightful infographic post here.
Now let’s delve into the topic and understand what blockchain technology and responsible sourcing are all about.
Understanding Blockchain
A Blockchain is a distributed database or ledger for securely recording transactions and storing data. Each block in the chain has a unique digital signature, making it nearly difficult to change or tamper with the recorded data.
It gives a secure, transparent, and traceable record of each stage in the manufacturing and distribution processes.
Benefits of Blockchain technology:
- It is an immutable public digital ledger, which implies that once a transaction is recorded, it cannot be amended.
- The encryption function in blockchain ensures that it is always secured.
- The transactions take place instantaneously and transparently, as the ledger is automatically updated.
- As blockchain is a decentralized system, no intermediate cost is needed.
- The authentication of all the transactions is verified and confirmed by participants.
What is Responsible Sourcing? Why is it important?
Responsible sourcing occurs when a company or a business proactively sources products and services ethically and sustainably throughout all levels of the supply chain.
(At Autify Network, we leverage the power of blockchain and AI to increase transparency in the global supply chain.)
Responsible sourcing plays an important role in the supply chain with the growing sustainable lifestyle. Many consumers, investors, and governments are now paying close attention to the global supply chain behind everyday products and services.
With the goal of a sustainable future, consumers are investing in sustainable materials, and becoming more aware of the potential disruption that leads to social and environmental issues in supply chains.
This results in a rising expectation that businesses must actively manage these risks through responsible sourcing practices. This involves integrating social, environmental, and ethical factors into their commercial practices.
Also to ensure adherence to sustainable living standards, businesses must ensure that the manufacturing of products is 100% environmentally friendly.
Responsible sourcing aims to take responsibility for a product’s complete life cycle and ensure the safety of both workers and the environment during the manufacturing process.
You might also like: Why Sustainable Supply Chain Matter for Luxury Fashion brands?
How Blockchain Technology Aligns with Responsible Sourcing?
Leveraging Blockchain technology for a sustainable supply chain allows businesses to achieve system transparency, traceability, and accountability. The demand for transparency has inspired a revolution in supply chain management, with blockchain technology emerging as a major changer in the goal of responsible sourcing.
Here is how Blockchain Technology aligns with responsible sourcing.
- Transparency: Blockchain creates a transparent and fixed record of each transaction that allows consumers and investors to track the journey of their products from the point of origin to the final product.
This transparency ensures that sourcing processes comply with ethical norms and allows consumers to make informed purchasing decisions based on the source of items.
- Traceability: It is easier to track the movement of raw materials and finished products throughout the supply chain with the help of the recorded transactions in the blockchain ledger.
This level of traceability helps to verify the authenticity of products ensuring compliance with ethical sourcing norms such as fair labor practices and environmental sustainability.
You might also like: The Definitive Guide to Traceability [2024] – The Future of Commerce
- Authenticity of products: Blockchain technology can be used to verify the authenticity of products with the help of digital signatures on the blockchain. This helps to avoid counterfeiting and assures that items are authentic, ethically supplied, and fulfill quality requirements.
- Real-Time Auditing: Blockchain enables real-time auditing and compliance monitoring by giving a tamper-proof record of transactions. Auditors and regulatory bodies can use this transparent ledger to ensure compliance with responsible sourcing criteria such as labor laws and regulations, fair trade practices, and environmental restrictions.
- Increases Efficiency: Blockchain provides visibility into inventory levels and transactions. This visibility enables businesses to minimize costs, improve lead times, and ensure timely product delivery to end users. To attain a high level of efficiency, consider implementing Blockchain for sustainable supply chain management.
- Carbon Emission Reduction: Companies focusing on responsible sourcing with the help of blockchain allow them to track the Carbon footprints of the product produced through the supply chain. This helps in increasing awareness and can have a positive impact through Carbon footprint reduction.
Conclusion
Blockchain Technology carries great potential for promoting responsible sourcing by enhancing transparency, traceability, and authenticity throughout the supply chain.
At Autify Network, we continue to push the boundaries of Supply Chain Management and blockchain technologies to provide businesses with greater transparency, reliability, and efficiency.
Get to know more about what we do or share some new perspectives. Get in touch with us via our contact page.
Stay updated with our latest ventures in the news, as we work toward a streamlined and clear blockchain-powered supply chain ecosystem.
Join us on this transformative journey and be a part of shaping the future together!
