Supplier training: the missing piece in your supply chain risk management strategy

While companies are increasingly implementing technological solutions and assurance for supply chain resilience and regulatory compliance, there is another human element often underutilised: training suppliers to meet standards and targets. Supplier training is essential for achieving meaningful, long-lasting factory improvement and building trust in supplier partnerships.

The evolution of supplier- brand relationships

Supplier-brand relationships are shifting. Once characterised by trust-based partnerships, these relationships have become increasingly transactional. In the pursuit of efficiency and cost-effectiveness, many brands have deprioritised collaboration, reducing engagements to one-off check-ins and cycling sourcing partners as soon as risks become present, rather than deploying remediation in problem areas. The result? A fragmented ecosystem where suppliers may not fully understand or align with a brand’s sustainability vision.

This transactional approach has created gaps in policy enforcement, accountability and trust, especially across lower-tier suppliers who often remain disconnected from top-level strategies. Without the buy-in and active participation of all suppliers, achieving end-to-end sustainability becomes an uphill battle.

Why supplier training matters

Supplier training, such as EiQ’s training solution offers an actionable solution to these challenges. By investing in education and capacity-building, brands can transform suppliers into strategic partners, equipping them with the knowledge, tools, and motivation to uphold sustainability commitments. Here's why this shift is vital: 

• Aligning policies across all tiers: Many brands struggle to cascade their sustainability policies through all tiers of their supply chains. Supplier training bridges this gap by ensuring that even sub-tier suppliers understand and implement these policies, creating a cohesive and aligned network. 
• Building trust-based partnerships: Training initiatives foster open communication, signaling to suppliers that they are valued collaborators, not mere contractors. This builds trust, strengthens relationships and encourages suppliers to go beyond compliance to proactively innovate in sustainability practices. 
• Enhancing supply chain visibility: A well-trained supplier network is more transparent, providing critical data on risks, compliance, and performance. This visibility is essential for mitigating disruptions and ensuring resilience in the face of evolving challenges. 
• Driving consistent standards: Through training, brands can ensure that suppliers operate with consistent standards across regions and industries, reducing variability and enhancing overall supply chain integrity. 

Reestablishing a trust-based network

To reestablish trust-based partnerships and improve communication, brands must move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and develop training programmes tailored to their suppliers' unique challenges and capacities.

EiQ’s training solution offers hundreds of digital training courses available in local languages and is being used by brands across the world to promote site improvement and collaboration. The module allows organisations to select and assign customised courses to individual suppliers to support targeted training.

By prioritising supplier training and being intentional with corrective action plans and risk remediation efforts, brands can foster improved collaboration and supply chain resilience, achieving their sustainability goals more effectively.