Supplier

Overview

Suppliers play an important role in the supply chain of any product. By identifying suppliers, you can gather data about the sourcing of raw materials, the manufacturing processes, and the transportation of goods from assembly to warehouses. To identify the supplier, you would require three sets of information:

Basic information:
Basic information consists of details around the name, contact and location of the supplier. This information will be public to other customers of Green Story unless the supplier chooses not to.

Supplier network:
Includes facilities and subcontractor's suppliers they work with to source or perform different processes for a component or a product.

Specific details:
Details around your primary contact with the supplier, their ID and documents that establish relationship between you and the supplier. This information will be private to you.

Once you have identified your suppliers, you can send your suppliers for verification.

Add supplier

1. The first step is to add basic information:

You can either look for the supplier in our database or add a new one. To protect supplier privacy, you will only be able to find a supplier in our database when you input the correct name of the supplier.
Note: At this point the new supplier will be created in the database (if the supplier does not already exist) in a “Draft” state but has not been submitted for verification.
If a supplier already exists in the database, their basic information is automatically pre-filled when adding them to your network. You can upload relevant documents to indicate your relationship with the supplier. If the supplier does not exist in Green Story’s database, all the supplier information can be added by you

2. The next step is to provide a supplier network:

Provide details around the supplier’s network which include facilities and subcontractors they work with to source or perform different processes for a component or a product.
You would be required to provide two sets of data for your facilities.

First, some basic information about the name, location, processes carried out in the facility and sustainability sources used.
Second, provide documents that establish a relationship between your supplier and the facility.

Acceptable documents for relationship proof:
1. Factory license
2. EIA approval
3. Certifications - GOTS, SA 8000
4. Other licenses

NOTE: All licenses need to be current and valid at the time of verification

Your facility will be added to the database in a draft state

3. Last step is to provide, specific details:

Acceptable documents for relationship proof:
1. An agreement between you and the suppliers
2. Transactional invoice from last 12 months between you and the supplier
3. Your public disclosures with the suppliers
4. Your collaterals or claims involving the supplier
5. Joint venture document with the supplier

4. Once all the mandatory information is filled in, “Save and activate” your supplier.

5. Once you have activated your supplier, send your supplier for verification.

Supplier List

Suppliers added get listed in the supplier list screen. Each supplier entry includes details such as the supplier's name, location, type, status, and verification status.

Supplier verification

Supplier verification refers to the validation process confirming a supplier is legitimate before integrating its data into the LCA. Verifying the accuracy of supplier data is a necessary component of maintaining the integrity, quality, efficiency and credibility of the LCA results. This is to ensure that the LCA results are based on valid and credible information provided by you and verified & approved by Green Story.

There are several benefits to conducting supplier data verification, in addition to enhancing the quality of an LCA, some of which are:

Fraud prevention: This is to confirm that the supplier is a legit company, such as the address is an actual one. This way actual distances are calculated for the LCA and accurate results are generated.
Regulatory compliance: As a part of regulatory compliance, supplier data verification is used to ensure that the supplier complies with government regulations. Ensuring that the supplier is a registered company for the geography (country) it claims to be operating in.
Brand protection: An effective supplier data verification process can serve to protect your brand by claiming LCA results that are based on verified sustainability data such as renewable energy, material and water recycling, etc.

Supplier verification using Green Story portal

Automating the supplier validation process on the GS portal eases and streamlines the process for customers in two ways.

It creates clarity around the documents and information required to get the supplier verification for customers using the GS portal.
It makes verified supplier information available for use by the Green Story portal users.

The overall supplier data verification process consists of three main steps:

Level of verification

To understand the connection between the supplier, supply chain and the information required to submit for verification using the Green Story portal, the below diagram differentiates between all three terms:

Verification process

The supplier data verification process starts with you submitting documents using the Green Story Portal. Once you submit all the documents, you initiate the verification process which triggers a notification for Green Story admin to verify. Once the verification is carried out the results are communicated to you on the portal and email.

Internal validation process

After Green Story receives your request, the admin starts verifying the suppliers. The verification methods are confidential. The following details are carefully looked at:

Supplier existence; Is there a physical entity registered in the same name?
Legal stand of the supplier and their location.
Contact information; Email id, phone number and website.
Videos/photos; These will not be verified for the public profile. But can be verified as per your request.
Business relationship; Verify if the supplier is associated with you.
If the facility / sub-contractor is registered.
If the facility/ subcontractor is associated with you.
Process level data (on request)
Sustainability practices

After the supplier is verified, the approved suppliers will be published on your customer portal. Approval or rejection of the supplier's information, including a reason for rejection, will be communicated through the portal and system email notification.

Validity of Verification

All the perpetual documents will not be verified after the first time of verification. Perpetual documents refer to any licences and legal documents that are valid for a long period of time or indefinitely.
For all non-perpetual documents, there will be a verification after the documents are renewed. Non perpetual documents refer to those which demand period frequent renewals. Before the expiry date, all the concerned parties will be notified of the expiry status 30 days before. The supplier has to submit the renewed documents within a month from the expiry date. In case of failure to submit the renewed document within 30 days after the expiry date, the supplier status will become rejected.

Supplier actions

For verified suppliers you can:

Download the supplier details in a csv format.
Delete the supplier and the associated information from the database

For pending suppliers you can:

Edit supplier to modify the supplier details
Manage Network of your facilities and subcontractors to modify or update their details
Deactivate Supplier to unlink the supplier from their network. This action temporarily disables the supplier's participation in the network, but it does not permanently delete the supplier.