VAUDE welcomed a total of 64 participants, representing the majority of our supply chain. We described our company vision and expounded upon how VAUDE envisages the collaboration that will take place within its Vendor Management program.
In early 2018, VAUDE established a Vendor Management Department consisting of employees from Tettnang-Obereisenbach and our teams in Vietnam, China and Taiwan.
Our Vendor Management program encompasses the work we engage in with our partners (material suppliers and producers) worldwide to improve social, environmental and quality standards in the supply chain.
Strategic aspects were presented to set the stage. VAUDE CEO Antje von Dewitz presented her vision of corporate sustainability and made it clear that VAUDE needs close cooperation with its partners along the way.
This was followed by a discussion of our competitive positioning and insight was given into our product roadmap and the company’s future direction. During a company tour that included lunch, the participants were enthusiastic about the VAUDE working environment and the "VAUDE Spirit" that they were able to experience.
The operational implementation of the Vendor Management program was the focus of the afternoon. The necessity and importance of transparency in the supply chain as well as changes in the regulatory framework regarding environmental and chemical management were highlighted.
Our Asian teams will carry out comprehensive reviews of social, environmental and quality standards throughout the supply chain and support our partners in implementing improvement measures. Previously, these teams’ inspections of production facilities focused on social and quality standards, while the primary focus at our suppliers was on environmental aspects.
The Vendor Meeting ended with a barbecue in the inner courtyard organized by the company canteen and our partners had a chance to try out our climbing wall – a successful day from start to finish.
