Is "Wal-Mart's acceptance of the eight standards" really a good thing for factories?

Recently, the news that Walmart accepted the eight standards has been all over the WeChat Moments! For many manufacturers who are reluctant to accept Walmart's factory inspection, an opportunity to quickly enter Walmart's supply chain system is in front of them! For manufacturers who already have the eight standards certificates but have not yet passed Walmart's factory inspection, entering Walmart's supply chain system seems so easy.

However, is this really the case?

Xiesheng Group interprets the news that Walmart accepts the eight standards for you, providing you with a clearer way of judging the consequences of this change brought about by Walmart and your own response plan.

Of course, we must understand the eight standards that Walmart accepts:

1. BSCI

BSCI is currently the most widely recognized standard in Europe and the United States, and China has the largest number of manufacturers that have obtained BSCI certificates.

BSCI factory audit results are divided into five levels:

A— ExcellentB — GoodC — AcceptableD — InadequateE — Unacceptable.

At present, the factory inspection results of domestic factories are generally C- level, B- level is relatively rare, and A- level is rare. Because of its universality, BSCI has passed many factories through its inspection, so Walmart has many choices.

The overall demand for suppliers at Walmart has not increased much. Therefore, although there are more factories entering the market, the result is bound to be selection from many. Suppliers may be selected based on comprehensive considerations such as price / quality / and factory inspection level.

Here, Xiesheng’s suggestion is that since there are too many C- level ones, you should strive to be B- level in order to stand out.

BSCI -authorized auditing organizations are all internationally recognized organizations:

UL , ITS , SGS , BV , TUV , BSI , ELEVATE , ALGI , HKQAA.

So far, Walmart will not only accept BSCI audits conducted by certain auditing companies , but will accept all of them.

Please note that BSCI audits will be surprise audits starting from 2017. Factories should pay attention to this change regardless of whether they are undergoing initial or annual audits.

2. SEDEX ( SMETA )

SEDEX is the abbreviation of Supplier Ethical Data Exchange , which is essentially a data platform that contains detailed data of SEDEX factory inspection reports. SEDEX members can see detailed factory inspection report data of suppliers on the platform.

Each question item in the SEDEX factory inspection report is divided into two results: Desk Top and Follow Up . Different members have different requirements for it, so there is no strict pass or fail. It depends on the customer's judgment.

Walmart accepts SEDEX , so it must have detailed judgment criteria, such as which items cannot be Follow Up and which items cannot even appear on the Desk Top .

So far, it is still impossible to determine how Walmart judges the details in SEDEX , so we can only say that there should be as few problems as possible, especially those that Walmart attaches great importance to in its original standards.

In addition, there are many SEDEX -authorized auditing agencies, and not all of them may be recognized by Walmart. Xiesheng believes that larger international authoritative certification agencies will be more advantageous, such as the four major notary firms.

3. WRAP

Many people misunderstand WRAP as a global social responsibility system for clothing, shoes and hats. The correct explanation given by WRAP officials is: Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production global social responsibility certification system.

Therefore, we can see that WRAP is not limited to the textile and garment industry, but can also certify hardware, electronics and other aspects.

In addition, please note: WRAP is the American standard! It is relatively closer to Wal-Mart and can also be used as a reference.

WRAP certificates are divided into three levels: platinum, gold, and silver. In principle, the higher the better, but like other standards, the lower the level, the easier it is to get a higher level. Most WRAP -certified factories get silver certificates.

WRAP 's standards require transparency and continuous improvement. Relatively speaking, factories that are honest and willing to take on social responsibility will find it easier to obtain WRAP certificates. The auditing agencies recognized by WRAP in China are all auditing agencies that value integrity and authenticity .

Xiesheng believes that as an American standard, WRAP will inevitably gain more recognition and development due to its geographical advantages when Walmart accepts the eight standards.

4. EICC

EICC is more involved in electronic products, and of course it cannot be said that EICC standards are only for the electronics industry. The update of EICC standards has added more universal content, which allows us to see that the standards are becoming more and more similar. Who knows, in a few years, the content of many standards will be basically the same, and then the compliance and enforcement of the standards will inevitably increase.

5.SA8000

The SA8000 standard is applicable to companies of all sizes, in any industry, around the world. It is based on the same international standards as the ISO9000 quality management system and ISO14000 environmental management system, which can be audited by third-party certification bodies and are universal standards.

There are not many SA8000 certified factories in China, which may have a lot to do with its late appearance. However, it must be said that SA8000 is indeed a standard with textbook significance, and it is rare to obtain its certification certificate.

SA8000 certificates are only granted to factories that have passed the certification, and there is a requirement for semi-annual audits.

6. ICTI

The standard for the toy industry. The content of this standard is very good, but its implementation has been criticized throughout the audit community.

For more details, please visit: Guangdong Toy Association and ICTI .

This is an epic war movie and I will not comment on it here.

The other two types of standards are not commented on because of their narrow scope of application.

Walmart's acceptance of the eight standards will undoubtedly greatly promote the integration of various standards in the world. After all, many Chinese factories are facing more than one brand, and the situation of different standards for different brands is indeed not conducive to the implementation of various standards.

However, things always develop in the right direction with twists and turns. The problem of too many standards will inevitably be solved in accordance with the needs of the times as the times change. Let us wait and see !