Traceability is important for ensuring sustainability and for measuring the impact of production on people and the environment throughout the entire supply chain.  It can also be important for ensuring product safety - particularly in the case of consumer goods and food production.  To this end, consumers, NGOs, governments and suppliers/buyers are increasingly demanding information about the origins of products and materials and the conditions under which they were produced. 

For a company (or industry sector), tracing the supply chain can also be useful for identifying and mitigating potential supply chain risks (e.g. the risk of supply disruption due to political instability,  more stringent legislation, environmental factors (drought), or economic factors).  Being able to demonstrate the criticality or socio-economic benefits of a material or product can also be important for a company or sector seeking to maintain its licence to operate.  It can help demonstrate the economic contribution that a material makes to the broader economy, for example, in terms of gross value added, employment effects and enabling the production of novel technologies or products that are crucial to the functioning of a modern economy.

No matter what the product or sector, our experts can help you to:

• Engage with actors along the supply chain to provide a robust and credible supply chain map;
• Assess impacts on people and the environment throughout the lifecycle of a product, from raw material extraction, through production, distribution and use, to final disposal, reuse and/or recycling;
• Assess the socio-economic impacts generated by a company, product or sector;
• Assess regulatory risks in the supply chain;
• Understand critical quality attributes of raw materials and possible options for input substitution.

If you would like further information, please contact our experts below.