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April Harrison: Shining a Light on TYS and her Team

In the bustling corridors of Trust Your Supplier, amidst the whirlwind of innovation and collaboration, there exists a guiding light, a beacon of inspiration known as April Harrison. Hailing from the heartland of North Carolina, April graces our midst as the Director of Communications and Marketing, a role she embodies with unparalleled grace and unwavering dedication. 

With two precious souls to call her own and a devoted husband by her side, April weaves the tapestry of her life with threads of love, warmth, and boundless compassion. As the caretaker of Trust Your Supplier, she wears many hats with effortless elegance—a shining example of friendship, intellect, and unwavering commitment. 

April’s inquisitive mind and insatiable curiosity are the hallmarks of her character, guiding her on a journey of continuous growth and self-discovery. A mastermind of managing multiple tasks, she navigates the complexities of her role with poise and precision, her arms extending to envelop all those who seek solace and support in her embrace. 

Within the walls of Trust Your Supplier, April’s presence is akin to a gentle breeze on a warm summer’s day—a comforting reminder that no one walks alone. She nurtures her TYS family with the tender care of a devoted mother, ensuring that each member feels valued, heard, and empowered to thrive. 

Despite the challenges that have tested her resolve, April’s indomitable spirit shines brightly, illuminating the darkest of days with her infectious humour, unwavering sensitivity, and unyielding grit. Through the trials and triumphs, she remains steadfast in her commitment to excellence, her enthusiasm undimmed by the trials of uncertainty. 

Beyond the confines of her professional realm, April’s impact extends far and wide, touching the lives of all who are fortunate enough to cross her path. As a beacon of hope and inspiration, she leads by example, her weekly aerobics classes a testament to her unwavering dedication to community and connection. 

April’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of hard work, perseverance, and adaptability. Thriving in an industry where she had no prior background experience, she fearlessly embraces the unknown, continually challenging herself to stay ahead of the curve and lead her team to new heights of success. 

To our esteemed leader, confidante, and friend—April Harrison—we extend our deepest gratitude for the light you bring into our lives. Your unwavering commitment, boundless compassion, and unyielding determination inspire us all to reach for the stars and never settle for anything less than greatness. 

April Harrison Blog, Spotlight 0 Comments ,

Material Sourcing: The Ethical Heartbeat of Super Bowl Rings

by April Harrison, TYS Marketing Director

While the specific details of the sourcing practices for Super Bowl rings may not be publicly disclosed or standardized across all teams, in recent years, there has been a growing trend in various industries, including jewelry and luxury goods, towards ethical and responsible sourcing of materials. 

Many organizations and consumers place increasing importance on sustainability, ethical mining, and fair labor practices. Various certifications, such as the Kimberley Process for diamonds, aim to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds. Additionally, some jewelry companies and manufacturers commit to using recycled metals and responsibly sourced gemstones. 

Here’s what a Super Bowl ring creation process looks like when the journey truly begins with a commitment to ethical and responsible material sourcing.  

1️⃣ Gold and Platinum Elegance: The materials at the core of these coveted rings are often gold and platinum. The quest for perfection starts with the careful selection of these precious metals. Responsible mining practices and the traceability of the metal’s origin are paramount. This ensures that the journey from the earth to the ring is marked by environmental sensitivity and ethical labor practices.  

2️⃣ Diamonds and Gemstones with a Conscience: Adding sparkle to the equation, diamonds and gemstones are chosen with meticulous attention. The focus extends beyond their brilliance to the ethical mining and sourcing of these gems. Conflict-free diamonds, adhering to the Kimberley Process, and responsibly sourced gemstones underscore the commitment to a supply chain free from ethical concerns.  

3️⃣ Sustainable Practices: The commitment to sustainability doesn’t end with responsible sourcing. Efforts are made to reduce the environmental footprint throughout the production process. From using recycled metals to implementing energy-efficient manufacturing techniques, the goal is to create a tangible symbol of victory without compromising the planet’s well-being.   

4️⃣ Community Impact: Beyond environmental considerations, ethical material sourcing extends to the impact on local communities. Partnerships with communities near mining sites contribute to social development initiatives, ensuring that the journey of creating these rings leaves a positive footprint on the lives of those involved. 

5️⃣ Transparency and Certification: To instill confidence in the authenticity and ethical standards of the materials, Super Bowl rings often come with certifications. These certifications not only vouch for quality but also affirm the commitment to responsible and ethical practices, allowing wearers to proudly showcase their rings with a clear conscience.  

To determine the exact ethical sourcing practices of Super Bowl rings, you would need to check with the specific teams, manufacturers, or organizations involved in their creation. For any organization, becoming more transparent about their supply chain shows commitment to ethical and sustainable practices. To amplify the impact, collaboration with emerging technology providers like Trust Your Supplier, equipped with compliance and risk management features, ensures a supply chain in harmony with regulatory requirements and industry benchmarks. 

When responsibly sourced, these Super Bowl rings become more than mere symbols of victory; they transform into emblems of ethical origins and meaningful community contributions, resonating far beyond the boundaries of the football field. 🏈💎🌍 

 #EthicalSourcing #SuperBowl #SustainableSourcing #ethicalmining #fairlabor #ConflictFreeDiamonds #KimberleyProcess #Compliance #SupplyChain

 

April Harrison Blog, Consumer Products, ESG 0 Comments , , ,

A Second Chance at Glory: Turning Defeat into Compassion and Inspiration

by April Harrison, TYS Marketing Director

Continuing my exploration of the Super Bowl supply chain, what becomes of the championship shirts and hats for the losing team? These brand-new garments, seemingly destined for obscurity, lead into the next part of our series, A Second Chance at Glory: Turning Defeat into Compassion and Inspiration.

In a heartwarming twist of fate, the losing team’s championship gear transforms from a symbol of defeat into an extraordinary opportunity for compassion and inspiration. Here’s how this second chance at glory unfolds:  

Upon the conclusion of the Super Bowl, humanitarian organizations and charitable foundations swiftly step into action. Partnering with the league or the sports apparel companies responsible for manufacturing the gear, these organizations see beyond the game’s outcome and recognize the transformative potential of these items. The losing team’s championship gear embarks on a new journey, transcending borders to reach communities facing hardships around the world. Whether it’s in regions affected by natural disasters, impoverished areas, or communities dealing with various challenges, the gear becomes a beacon of support and inspiration.   

Distributed by these humanitarian organizations, the gear takes on a new purpose: to empower and uplift. T-shirts and hats that once symbolized a moment of disappointment now become symbols of resilience and shared humanity. The recipients, often facing adversity, find warmth and encouragement in the unexpected gift, fostering a sense of community and connection. Each piece of championship gear carries with it the stories of determination, teamwork, and sportsmanship that define the Super Bowl. These narratives resonate with individuals who receive the gear, reminding them that, even in the face of setbacks, there is a shared human spirit that unites us all.  

While it’s uplifting to see these garments finding a meaningful second purpose, authentic corporate responsibility begins by ensuring that every procurement decision resonates with a commitment to ethics and sustainability. Visibility into a company’s supplier base is crucial and Trust Your Supplier’s integration with strategic partners, such as EcoVadis, Verisk Maplecroft, Dunn and Bradstreet, and Moody’s Analytics, brings together all the necessary components for procurement organizations that are on the path toward ethical sourcing. In this way, these garments will make an impact on both ends of their life—beginning with sustainable sourcing and concluding with a profound social impact. 

#ethicalsourcing #socialimpact #superbowl #supplychain #sustainableprocurement

April Harrison Blog, Consumer Products, ESG 0 Comments , , ,

Feast and Footprint: Unveiling the Culinary Extravaganza and Waste at the Super Bowl!

by April Harrison, TYS Marketing Director

As the Super Bowl spectacle unfolds on the field, another grand performance is taking place in the stands and concession areas—a culinary masterpiece of epic proportions. Let’s delve into the food consumed and the waste generated during this colossal event.

Super Bowl Sunday is not just a showdown of athletic prowess; it’s a gastronomic celebration. Millions of fans in the stadium and watching at home indulge in a culinary feast, devouring an astonishing array of food ranging from classic hot dogs and nachos to gourmet treats and stadium specialties. The sheer scale of the Super Bowl translates to mind-boggling food consumption. Think thousands of pizzas, millions of chicken wings, and enough nachos to build a culinary fortress.   

Yet, behind the scenes of this culinary symphony lies a challenge—food waste. The sheer volume of meals served, and snacks consumed contributes to a significant amount of waste, including packaging, uneaten portions, and disposable utensils. The challenge is not only to satiate the appetites of millions but also to do so responsibly, minimizing the environmental impact.  

In recent years, there’s been a growing awareness of the environmental footprint of major events like the Super Bowl. Stadiums, vendors, and organizers are increasingly adopting sustainable practices, from sourcing compostable utensils to implementing recycling programs. These efforts aim to strike a balance between the grandeur of the occasion and the responsibility to our planet.  

Fans, too, play a crucial role. The Super Bowl experience extends beyond the field, and conscious choices by attendees—like using designated recycling bins and opting for eco-friendly alternatives—contribute to the overall sustainability narrative.  

The need for conscientious choices echoes far beyond the stadium, reaching into the core of procurement organizations. Trust Your Supplier (TYS), as a pioneer in SaaS blockchain networks, offers invaluable tools and insights for procurement organizations of any size to navigate the labyrinth of ethical choices. By leveraging TYS’s platform, we empower these organizations to make sustainable choices, ensuring that every procurement decision contributes to a dedicated commitment to our planet’s well-being. 

#SuperBowlFeast #SustainableCelebration #EnvironmentalConsciousness #Procurement #Sustainability #ESG

April Harrison Blog, Consumer Products, ESG 0 Comments , , ,

Trust Your Supplier (TYS): Empowering Suppliers in the Digital Age

Exciting news is on the horizon as Trust Your Supplier (TYS), our revolutionary supplier management platform, achieves a significant milestone by securing its place at the center of Dr. Elouise Epstein’s Spider Map. This accomplishment marks a pivotal moment in TYS’s journey, highlighting its commitment to empowering suppliers and reshaping the landscape of risk and compliance management.

Empowering Suppliers with Data Ownership:
TYS stands out as a groundbreaking solution that prioritizes supplier empowerment. At its core, TYS is designed to give suppliers complete ownership and control over their data. This is a game-changer in the supplier management space, as it introduces the concept of digital wallets for suppliers, providing them with a secure and efficient way to manage their information.

Digital Wallet Concept:
The digital wallet concept is at the heart of TYS’s innovative approach. By enabling suppliers to have their own digital wallets, TYS allows them to store and manage crucial data securely. This not only streamlines the data-sharing process but also ensures that suppliers have autonomy over their information, fostering a new era of transparency and trust in supplier relationships.

A Milestone in Dr. Elouise Epstein’s Spider Map:
Dr. Elouise Epstein’s Spider Map serves as a testament to TYS’s exceptional capabilities and potential. Positioned at the center of this influential map, TYS is recognized for its commitment to supplier empowerment and data ownership. This strategic positioning reinforces TYS’s role as a leader in the supplier management landscape.

Revolutionizing Risk and ESG Markets:
As the Risk and ESG markets undergo significant transformations, TYS emerges as a frontrunner, ready to revolutionize these industries. With a robust data foundation and the digital wallet concept, TYS provides cutting-edge solutions and insights that are poised to shape the future of risk and compliance management.

Looking Ahead:
The future looks promising for TYS and its stakeholders. By putting the power back in the hands of suppliers and offering innovative solutions, TYS is set to drive positive change in the supplier management landscape. As industries evolve, TYS remains dedicated to staying at the forefront, delivering value, and shaping a future where data ownership and transparency are paramount.

Trust Your Supplier’s latest achievement in securing a central position in Dr. Elouise Epstein’s Spider Map underscores its commitment to revolutionizing supplier management. With the digital wallet concept and a strong focus on data ownership, TYS is well-positioned to bring about transformative changes in the Risk and ESG markets. As TYS continues to pave the way for a new era in supplier empowerment, the future holds exciting possibilities for the platform and its users.

April Harrison Blog, Supplier Information Management 0 Comments ,

The “Q” Word – Questionnaires

A favorite character in the James Bond series (other than James himself) is Q. Q always has these amazing hi-tech gadgets that save James from a certain demise at just the right time. Explosive alarm clocks, the Knife Shoe, exploding pens, a submarine Lotus Esprit, and of course the attacking sofa. He also has little patience for James and his laissez-faire attitude.  Q is cool.  

For your suppliers, what’s not cool is the “Q” word: Questionnaires.

Suppliers receive and return countless questionnaires containing dozens to hundreds of questions from each customer. Many of these questions are similar from customer to customer with slight variations and various formats. Just google “supplier questionnaires” and you’ll be overwhelmed with many template options and suggestions of what to include in your questionnaires. 

So as a procurement organization, what should you include in your questionnaires? And how do you keep them up to date? Key global risks, evolving market conditions, geopolitical issues, and new compliance mandates require revisions to your questionnaires to collect crucial pieces of information from your suppliers. This is necessary to mitigate any risk to your organization. 

Each time a company sends out a questionnaire or sends an updated questionnaire, the supplier must respond to each customer separately. The queue for having your specific questionnaire updated and returned can be quite lengthy, therefore creating a lag in the transfer of information. This lag leads to stale data and a lack of visibility to manage your company’s risk in current market conditions.

So, what’s the solution?  The “S” word: Standardization. Trust Your Supplier (TYS) has pulled together a conglomerate of major buying organizations to develop a set of questionnaires that are standardized. These questionnaires cover industry, location, and buyer-specific issues that allow each organization to assign the relevant questionnaires to their suppliers. And these questionnaires are kept updated to reflect new requirements and regulations.

Here’s an example of how it works: 

A set of questionnaires can be assigned to a supplier by a customer. Once those questionnaires have been completed and published by the supplier, the procurement team can review the answers. But there’s more!  Suppliers can then share the same completed questionnaires with other customers…with just a click of a button. So instead of sending the same 200 answers separately to each customer, the supplier now just needs to focus on any unique questions a customer may have. This dramatically reduces the supplier’s administrative burden as well as the onboarding time and keeps their information current and accurate.  

Let’s suppose this supplier has added a new product and now they are working with conflict minerals. No problem. The supplier can update the Conflict Minerals questionnaire and once published, the system will automatically notify every connected customer. The supplier’s new motto is now: “Do Once, Share with Many.”

These standardized questionnaires offer additional benefits to buyer teams. The TYS approvals workflow can be customized and automated with each questionnaire. Each answer can be “scored” based on your internal risk threshold. Any answer that does not align with your company’s preferred score will then be directed to the appropriate team role for further review and approval. This allows your team to focus on undesirable answers rather than spending time reviewing all answers.

Another TYS feature that softens the blow of the Q word is Questionnaire Groups. Depending on the supplier segmentation strategy, buyer organizations can use a targeted approach to send relevant questionnaires to a configured group of suppliers. These groups are customized by the buyer team and then assigned as a group to suppliers that fit into that category (i.e., location). This simplifies the questionnaire assignment process for the buyer team. 

And the newest TYS feature is Predictive Questionnaires. Buyer teams can create a set of rules that will predict which questionnaires should be assigned to a particular supplier. This is tremendously valuable as new compliance regulations and laws come into play throughout the world, and provides the opportunity to reach more of your supplier base without further manual outreach.

Ultimately, standardization and automation result in benefits for both supplier and buyer organizations. The reduction in the onboarding cycle time allows transactions to occur faster and there is reduced administrative effort on both sides. Buyer organizations can also then benefit from having full visibility into their supplier base for strategic decision-making and risk management.  

Check out a real example of how quickly suppliers can complete their profiles and questionnaires on the TYS system.

April Harrison Blog, Risk & Compliance, Risk Management, Supplier Information Management 0 Comments , , , ,

Tales of TYS Superheroes: Supplier Discovery

Here’s a little end-of-week humor. 

 This comic strip is a fun way to showcase a problem and a solution around an organization’s need for supplier resiliency. Now, more than ever, enterprises need a trusted base of suppliers. With today’s supply chain risks, volatility in supply, and the increased regulatory situation, the traditional methods to discover and onboard suppliers can’t keep up with the pace of changing information. 

Today’s hero uses the power of TYS’s discovery function to quickly find numerous pre-vetted suppliers to fill an unexpected gap in their supplier base. A simple search function reveals suppliers that meet the requirements and characteristics this organization is looking for along with risk data including questionnaires and third-party data.

The supplier information is available nearly immediately, which reduces the effort to discover qualified suppliers and reduces onboarding cycle time. 

Enjoy the first installment of Tales of TYS Superheroes – stories of everyday heroes in supplier management! 

 

April Harrison Blog ,

“Glocal” Supplier Management – Balancing Global and Local Requirements

For enterprise organizations, globalization adds complexity with a need to assess suppliers across a broad spectrum of subject areas to ensure compliance with both global regulations and regional operating requirements. Local regulations and laws require procurement organizations to take into consideration any specific needs, often complicating the process of engagement or risk management. 

How do you ensure suppliers are compliant and operating responsibly no matter where they are in the world?   

Trust Your Supplier is a “Glocal” solution that allows procurement organizations to manage multiple, complex risk areas efficiently while establishing relationships with suppliers anywhere in the world. Here’s how… 

  1. Standardized Questionnaires – TYS is guided by a Governance Board of Fortune 500 companies that provided input to our standardized compliance questionnaires. By collaborating across and within industries, these questionnaires were built to support global, local and industry requirements while reducing the number of overall questions suppliers are required to complete.
  2. Custom Questionnaires – Organizations may have unique regional and global requirements for risk management. TYS offers custom questionnaires to support any regulatory requirements that may not be covered with a standardized questionnaire.
  3. Questionnaire Groups – Buyers can select any combination of questionnaires to form a Questionnaire group. These groups can be based on common requirements for location, product or service, or other features. During the onboarding process, suppliers can easily be assigned into the appropriate Questionnaire Group, simplifying the process and ensuring the relevant questionnaires are required for that supplier. This strategy targets segments of suppliers for customized risk assessments appropriate for that segment.
  4. Integrated Risk Data – TYS partners with industry-leading third-party validators that offer a variety of risk data on companies from around the world. This information is integrated into supplier profiles for an enriched view of each supplier. 

 This flexible, standardized approach, combined with integrated third-party risk data, provides procurement organizations with a 360° view of their suppliers no matter where they are located in the world. 

April Harrison Blog, Risk Management

Digital Transformers: Supplier Management Using Blockchain

Historically, procurement has considered themselves the ‘gatekeepers’ for enterprise contracts and supplier relationships. Information was regarded as power, especially if it could give them an upper hand in supplier negotiations. That paradigm no longer works.

Today’s procurement organizations are not only beginning to empower distributed buyers to make more and more independent decisions about suppliers, they are working towards stronger, more trust-based partnerships with those suppliers.

In this episode of Digital Transformers, powered by Supply Chain Now, hosts Kevin L. Jackson and Kelly Barner welcome Gary Storr and April Harrison with Trust Your Supplier to the podcast to discuss supplier management using blockchain:

· The importance of establishing mutual trust in a digitally transformed business environment and how specific technologies can help companies achieve that at scale

· How blockchain can not only increase the trust factor of supplier information, it can also prevent suppliers from having to manually make updates across a range of customer systems

· Ways in which the past year has helped procurement see just how reliant they are on their suppliers

Listen to the episode here.

April Harrison Blockchain, Supplier Information Management 0 Comments ,

The Value of a Blockchain-Based Identity

by April Harrison

A trusted supplier identity is the keystone of our Trust Your Supplier (TYS) platform. TYS provides organizations a trusted exchange of information across an encrypted blockchain environment to minimize risk & fraud throughout the onboarding and life cycle of partnerships. Our value proposition relies on ensuring identity control and privacy for network participants. 

The exchange of information is crucial to business operations in all industries. Conventional systems are open to fraud, error and inefficiency. These manual processes lack data security and each participant has their own separate database, or ledger — increasing the possibility of human error or fraud. Shared databases cannot prevent malicious activity. Hacked entities can corrupt or destroy data in the shared database, making it invalid for everyone involved. 

Blockchain is designed for trust and secure trading, reducing vulnerabilities. It provides clear provenance and a single, shared, tamper-evident ledger. Once recorded, transactions cannot be altered. This is ideal for supporting auditing capabilities as it provides an immutable relationship history between parties. 

The TYS supplier profile data is sovereign, owned & controlled by the supplier, who can selectively share additional profile information with companies they choose to connect with on the network. 

This single, digital identity for suppliers can be shared with multiple buyers and business networks. A 2-tiered supplier profile approach allows suppliers to be discovered by new customers without handing over unlimited access to their data. 

To learn more about this innovative new approach to supplier identity that is transforming supplier relationships, please visit www.TrustYourSupplier.com 

April Harrison Blockchain, Blog, Supplier Information Management