Today, most big apparel suppliers rely on independent manufacturers outside the U.S. to make and ship their goods to stores, a strategy that allows branded suppliers to focus on design, marketing, inventory management and careful monitoring of sales trends,†stated an article last year in The Wall Street Journal.
For EHS professionals working in the new global supply chain, this means more responsibility with less direct control. The job of managing operations in other countries has become less difficult during the past ten years, due mostly to advances in technology. Still, it’s a tricky task. Specific regulations differ from country to country, as do customs, languages, and laws. Further complicating matters are treaties of global governance like the Kyoto Protocol. EHS management is now expected to understand the nexus of local and international compliance. And deal with emergencies: