The Fair Factories Clearinghouse (FFC), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting workplace compliance through the sharing of factory audit information, announced that Timberland and L.L. Bean, Inc. are the latest retailers to manage information about factory workplace conditions through the FFC.
“The FFC is a welcome addition in the field of human rights monitoring and L.L. Bean is pleased to be a participant,” said Mike Sheehy, senior manager of global monitoring for L.L. Bean. “Much more can be accomplished in improving factory conditions through sharing information with other brands and retailers. We believe the FFC will significantly enhance member companies capabilities to make responsible sourcing decisions.”
The FFC houses a global database of factory information and social compliance audit reports for the purpose of managing and sharing non-competitive information about workplace conditions in a manner that is cost-effective, can inform sourcing decisions by retailers and brands, and help improve factory workplace conditions around the world. Key features of the system include human rights compliance code provisions already imbedded in the system; security audit standards modeled after C-TPAT requirements; sourcing relationships that link managers to production runs; and off-line capabilities to enable audits by third party providers and other agents.
“Theres no limit to the positive impact that can be created when a group of people in this case, our fellow FFC members are united around a common goal,” said Gary Smith, Timberlands Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management. “Our collective efforts to improve workplaces and communities will be better and stronger for the information we share through the FFC.”
The goal of the FFC is to provide cost-effective, web-based information to facilitate the ability of buyers to make informed sourcing decisions. FFC is the first not-for-profit group of its kind, developed through a collaborative effort by retailers, consumer brands, and trade associations and made possible through the donation of software developed and deployed in over 30 countries by Reebok International. Membership is open to all retailers and brands interested in maximizing their ability to utilize information about factory workplace conditions to assist with sourcing decisions.
