Schijvens welcomed its suppliers in Karachi, Pakistan, at the end of November for the annual supplier meeting. All suppliers came together in order to brainstorm about further developments, with the following motto: “Teamwork makes the dream work”. You definitely arrive at the best ideas when working together and the entire supply chain should be part of this process.
Goal 1: Living wage
The number one topic in the textile industry is currently the living wage for factory workers in low-wage countries. Schijvens has already applied the living wage in its factory in Turkey and will continue implementing this in other locations. A great deal of attention during this meeting was devoted to how suppliers can help with this process. Making the obstacles in this area open to discussion will allow us to clearly see where there is need for help. It became clear that Schijvens isn’t the only party which can manage this process, as the suppliers are more than happy to help each other too.
Goal 2: Working more efficiently
Problems and obstacles during the production process were communicated openly and clearly. This ensures Schijvens’ suppliers can jointly arrive at a solution when a manufacturer is faced with problems during the production process and possibly solve the issue with the help of another supplier.
Suppliers were initially worried about being each other’s competitors, but it soon became clear this is now quite the opposite. Working together is key in this industry; you are dependent on each other. Instead of blaming things on each other, they now look at how problems arose and what a suitable solution could be. This includes looking at the possible role of another supplier when the need arises and now there is a clear understanding for each other throughout the entire chain.
Mission accomplished
We can certainly look back on an incredibly successful meeting. There is a good, positive drive to continue to work on a joint objective in a motivated manner during the year ahead: satisfied customers and a fair textile industry, with respect for people and the environment.
