Raising the Bar
AE: It’s five parts. Product quality, product safety, social compliance, environmental stewardship and supply-chain safety. The overall basis of the self-assessment is [to ask the questions] “Do you have policies in place?” and “Do you have ways to enforce those policies?” It’s very intensive.
TG: ... It’s not just about having a policy in place and saying, “Well, now we have a policy in place.” It is such an intricate and expensive structure that has to be put in place, it actually forces you as a company to live by this structure and this certification. It forces you as a company to change the way you are bringing product in. It’s not just about saying “We’re certified now.” It’s about having the structures in place—you have to have the checks and balances. That’s what is being audited, that you adhere to those checks and balances and not allow [bad] product to come in.