Since July 2013, the certification “STeP by OEKO-TEX” has been offering companies in the textile value-creation chain the opportunity to have their production plants independently evaluated and certified with regard to the use of sustainable technologies and social working conditions.
To supplement this, OEKO-TEX is currently developing an online platform that also enables brand providers, manufacturers, and retailers to transparently track and optimally manage the sustainability of their entire supply chain based on relevant performance features.
The new tool, called "MySTeP", will probably be launched on the market from the summer of 2014. It can be used by all interested companies in the textile industry, regardless of whether they have OEKO-TEX certification.
To access the MySTeP dashboard, companies must first register for the platform. Various license packages are offered dependent on the number of desired users. After successful setup of a MySTeP account, companies can contact STeP certified production plants within the system and request the release of their data. The STeP plants decide whether data is displayed to the requesting dashboard user, and if so, which data the user sees.
This can include, for example, the complete contact data and the type of production (spinning mill, weaving mill, finishing facility or manufacturer of ready-made clothes), the validity period of the STeP certification and the total score and evaluation of the operation's individual company areas. On request, the STeP certified suppliers can also release the display of additional information such as the audit report from the test institute responsible.
Based on the key performance indicators (KPI) provided in the MySTeP dashboard, brands, retailers, and manufacturers are able to improve their supply chain in accordance with their demands pertaining to quality, efficiency, environmental friendliness, and social responsibility, and systematically align this with the requirements of the international market.
The available information makes a targeted comparison of suppliers possible based on sustainability factors, for example global regions, countries, company size, or the stage of production.
The transparent display of the KPIs therefore serves as a yardstick that simplifies the selection of new suppliers, but also helps to identify and eliminate possible risks in the existing supply chain. Last but not least, for the registered users, the MySTeP dashboard also provides a function for the transparent management of existing OEKO-TEX certificates, e.g. in the form of a validity check or through automatic notification when certificates expire.
