Once upon a time, merchants and salesmen got their products from local suppliers or made them themselves.

But as we’ve become more and more globalised, we reach beyond our borders to find better and cheaper solutions to producing our products.

The suppliers we work with also look out for beneficial solutions with their suppliers.

And so it goes that supply chains become longer, more complex, and harder to manage.

So, we’ve gathered 6 reasons why you should map your supply chain:

#1 Avoid surprises

Imagine you reorder a product, and the quality of the product you receive has decreased significantly.

That may be because your supplier has changed factory.

So, if you map your supply chain and have an honest discussion with your suppliers about updating you on changes, your chances of avoiding this are better.

#2 Be ready for media attention

Most media stories will be about what happens in your supply chain and suppliers' factories.

Even though the chances of news coverage of your factories are relatively low, it’s important to be prepared.

Being prepared and having a response ready where you acknowledge whatever happened and own up to your responsibility is often key to handling such as situation.

#3 Satisfy your customers

You might have a big customer who demands to know where their products are made.

Being able to tell them right away is a big advantage and will show that you know what you’re doing.

#4 Live up to consumer demands

You might also experience pressure from end-consumers.

Consumers increasingly demand transparency, which means that companies need to know their supply chains – or, in fact, their whole value chain.

#5 Ensure certification

By knowing and being in dialogue with your whole supply chain, you can more easily make sure that they are certified and not using fake certifications.

#6 Prepare for the future

Having mapped your supply chain will prepare you for the future requirements that are undoubtedly coming.

For example, there is currently a proposal in the EU to limit the consumption of products that contribute to deforestation – such as leather.

This proposal replaces the current EU Timber Regulation.

We hope these 6 reasons can help convince you to get started on mapping your supply chain – if you haven’t already done it.

The sooner the better!