New data hub invites companies to map global supply chains

A NEW open data platform has been launched for companies to map their global supply chains to improve insights about production facilities and better address emissions.

The Open Supply Hub has been launched in beta phase, and companies are being asked to come forward to take part. Companies and organisations will populate the platform with their supply chain information. The hub in turn provides standardised name and address data, and universal IDs for production facilities around the world. This will create interoperability between datasets that are typically siloed and allow organisations to find others connected to the same facilities, which will enable more efficient and effective collaboration and reporting on environmental, social and corporate governance goals (ESG), the Open Supply Hub said.

Natalie Grillon, Executive Director of the Open Supply Hub, said: “Globally, organisations are preparing for a wave of new ESG reporting requirements. The volume of data shared will be enormous. It’s therefore absolutely critical that reporting is built on a reliable and collaborative foundation in order to bring about the supply chain improvements we desperately need. Supply chain data is notoriously opaque, siloed and inaccessible, which has historically benefitted very few. Opening up this data is the solution. Not only can we create a single source of truth for identifying facilities, but this model also encourages collaboration and helps users progress their work, be it ESG reporting, workers’ rights advocacy, research or climate risk decisions.”

The Open Supply Hub is a non-profit organisation that has received funding from the Laudes Foundation, Amazon and the German Government. It builds on the work of the Open Apparel Registry that exists for the clothing industry.

Interested companies can find more information at https://www.opensupplyhub.org/