Category: News

News

Higg Index FEM Offsite Verification

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

API is one of the leading Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) approved verifier and trainer bodies and has been conducting both onsite and offsite verifications (General and Chemical Specialist Verifications) in many countries in Asia and Europe.

Within the context of the current pandemic and its restriction on travel, API is offering Higg Index offsite verifications to facilitate the evaluation of the environmental and social performance of manufacturers and facilities and support them in continuing their path towards a more sustainable supply chain.

Although there are limitations to an offsite verification, all facility types and questions at all achievement levels (including Level 2 & 3 Chemicals) can be verified offsite provided that qualified verifiers are used, including chemical specialists where applicable.

We put our solid expertise in Higg Index at the service of our clients and their factories to ensure the adequate development of a verification remotely.

Please contact us (sustainability@api-hk.com) to discuss your Higg Index Verifications further.

News

COVID-19 Precautionary Audit

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

Brands, retailers, importers and suppliers around the world are looking to restart their activity as quickly as possible. However, the health, safety and working conditions of employees remains a key topic to be addressed. The pressure of time and the uncertainty of a context never before seen is not only raising the risk of vulnerabilities and non-compliance in some factories, but is also emphasizing the need for new practices and procedures.

Even the most compliant factories present risks that need to be tackled.

Among some of the critical points to be checked during this period is the review of health and safety systems to ensure prevention and control measures for COVID-19 are aligned with the local guidelines. For example, ensuring an adequate separation between working stations, availability of face masks and procedures for wearing and removing them, process in case of the detection of a suspected case, etc.

And because hygiene and safety are not the only aspects to pay attention to during this crisis, our audit program also includes control of working conditions. Indeed, assessments of the forced labor risk and working hours elevation are essential to prevent the increase of ‘voluntary’ overtime in response to demanding production targets.

It is within this difficult context that we put our expertise at the service of our clients to help their suppliers get ready for a safe restart with our special ‘COVID-19 Precautionary Audit Program’. Our specialists in CSR audits can support your suppliers to create a safe and hygienic work environment evaluating critical points in the following areas:

Health and safety
Forced labor
Disciplinary practices
Working hours
Compensation
Unauthorized subcontracting

What is API’s Added Value?

At API, our experts consider that hygiene and safety are not the only aspects to pay attention to during this crisis, our audit program also includes control of working conditions. Indeed, assessments of the forced labor risk and working hours elevation are essential to prevent the increase of ‘voluntary’ overtime in response to demanding production targets.

News

WORMS SAFETY – Press Release

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

Official Communication

7^th of April, 2020

WORMS SAFETY is now involved in the global fight against COVID-19 with Voisin Consulting Life Sciences (VCLS), the health specialist member of the alliance. In particular, we are supporting, through regulatory guidance, numerous initiatives for the resolution of this sanitary crisis. Some are already at the advanced stage of submission to health regulatory authorities, bringing us closer to a cure. Among them are the repurposing of two existing drugs as candidates for therapeutic treatments, and the development of a new type of life-saving ventilator in the medical devices’ field.

At the same time, WORMS SAFETY specialist members, SgT, Qualspec, API, AQF, Worms Safety Laboratories, Axis, Albhades, IAS, and Challenge Optimum, are addressing operational issues, consequences of the crisis: securing stocks with mold and corrosion prevention measures; redrawing traditional on-site product controls with ‘no-physical-human-contact techno-guided inspections’; etc.

It is also our responsibility to prepare for the day after and beyond with humanity, lucidity, determination, commitment, and even disruption. Agile boots-on-the-ground practices will be instrumental in restarting and minimizing risks, missteps, and delays.

“We wholeheartedly believe that if we want to be protected, we must first protect each other. Selflessness, is the key to get through these unprecedented times and build a safer future for everyone. Please be safe and continue to take good care.”

With best regards,

Thierry LENOIR
CEO

News

Going Beyond Finished Product Quality

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

A preventive approach: moving the focus to the earlier stages of production

Quality has traditionally been approached from a reactive perspective, where costs are predominantly allocated to the control of the finished product. With this approach, the final random inspection and sample testing are still by far some of the most popular services in many manufacturing areas. They allow for the detection of quality issues at the end of production and evaluate the suitability of the goods for shipment. But the chances are high that some defects will occur during the mass production process. What if these defective products represent a significant part of your final production?

Reallocating the quality budget is possible; thinking about the finished product’s quality but moving the focus to the earlier stages of production. A more in-depth look into the factories and their processes will allow you to anticipate negative risks. From the selection of the most suitable manufacturers to the identification of the right raw materials and right practices, this preventive approach also has beneficial effects on suppliers, offering opportunities for improvement and giving them the potential for empowerment.

Moving from final inspections to a deeper look of the manufacturing process

The earlier the risks are identified, the earlier the solutions can be adopted, thus resulting in the faster implementation of corrective actions, and higher product reliability. By the end, the risk of product reworking or replacement must be significantly reduced, enabling your brand to avoid market delays and extra ‘non-quality’ costs.

API can provide multiple solutions to help brands, retailers and their suppliers to better manage their manufacturing processes.

Example of reactive vs. preventive approach on a chair

Going beyond finished product quality. Reactive Approach and Preventive Approach

Interested in learning more about API’s preventive solutions?

News

Sustainability Matters: ICS Environmental Audits

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

Increasing environmental pressure from governments and associations, and a more pronounced consumer preference for eco-friendly products, are making more and more companies aware of the need to speed up their sustainability journey.

68% of consumers rate sustainability as important
Source: CGS’s 2019 Retail and Sustainability Survey

To help them in this way, ICS – Initiative for Compliance and Sustainability – brings to its members a set of common tools to mutualize their audits, contributing to the reduction of audit fatigue and sharing knowledge and best practices.

ICS is an international sectorial initiative that aims to enhance working conditions among the global supply chains of its member retailers and brands. ICS is composed of 48 multinational retailers and brands in the textile, retail, footwear, electronics, and furniture sectors.*

API is accredited to perform ICS social and environmental audits to help ensure that suppliers and their supply chains are aligned with the ICS Environmental Code of Conduct. The main areas covered include:

Environmental management systems (EMS)
Energy use, transport, and greenhouse gases (GHGs)
Water use
Wastewater and wastewater effluent
Emissions to air and ozone-depleting substances (ODS)
Waste management
Pollution prevention, and hazardous and potentially hazardous substances
Major incident prevention and management

A dedicated environmental team with hands-on experience

Experienced with ICS environmental methodology
Knowledge of supply chain environmental sustainability
Led by the head of sustainability with a doctorate in sustainability (PhD) and more than 10 years’ experience
Bilingual with a clear understanding of specific local challenges and global expectations

Daily assessments in factories worldwide

API can support our customers in their environmental journey with 360° expertise in process, factories, and products.

Interested in learning more about our ICS environmental solutions?

*ICS logo and description are property of ICS

News

API at 2020 ICPHSO INTERNATIONAL VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

API is glad to be participating as a sponsor at the 2020 ICPHSO International Virtual Symposium. The event will take place on October 27–28, 2020, in conjunction with the European Commission’s International Product Safety Week.

The focus of this year’s international symposium is ‘Safely sustainable: exploring how the concept of sustainability is impacting and shaping consumer product safety.’

News

API Link™: API’s Online Platform New Features

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

API Link™, API’s new online platform, introduces a few additional features this month. In addition to the functions already revealed such as a 24/7 overview of ongoing and finished orders and order tracking with key milestones, customers can now benefit from:

Final decision on orders in 1 click: release or reject your orders faster than ever based on relevant data
Report summary: at-a-glance overview of all your reports
Online reports: easily accessible reports shared with different parties in 1 click and archived in a single platform
Confirmation of quotations online

Customers, suppliers and factories can benefit from increased visibility over processes and order status through API Link™ user-friendly dashboards.

Interested in learning more about our platform?

News

Sustainability webinar series

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

Sustainability is the key to the future and has become a priority topic for many household goods and toy companies. To help you deepen your knowledge and continue building a more sustainable supply chain, API is launching some additional sustainability webinars:

Environmental footprint

The analysis of the impacts a product has in terms of environmental footprint allows for the identification of more ‘planet-friendly’ practices, processes and materials.

Get an overview of the different criteria required to calculate a product footprint, including:

Introduction to environmental footprints
Concepts and standards of life cycle assessment (LCA)
Snapshot of various footprints.

July 8, 2021
10am–10:45am CET / 4pm–4:45pm HKT

Previous webinars

Chemical management for hardgoods

Brands, retailers, and suppliers are increasingly looking to improve their chemical management. The question remains: How do you assess the chemical risk and enhance the chemical performance of your supply chain?

Learn strategic insights for chemical management improvement, including:

An overview of chemical management in the supply chain
Key elements of chemical management
Restricted substances and manufacturing restricted substances management in the supply chain
Traceability of chemicals.

June 24, 2021
10am–10:45am CET / 4pm–4:45pm HKT

News

API Sustainability webinar on carbon footprint

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

Join our upcoming webinar: ‘Carbon footprint in the household goods and toys industries.’ A growing number of household goods and toy companies are concerned about the impacts of their activities on climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and carbon footprint have become topical issues among hardgoods brands. A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, a process, a person, or a product. In this webinar, we will help companies better understand the types of carbon footprints and actions that can be taken to measure and reduce this impact.

Agenda:

Introduction to carbon footprint in the hardgoods sector
Types of carbon footprint: organization footprint vs. product carbon footprint
Methodology of carbon footprint
Case studies

Speaker: Dr. Kannan Muthu – Head of Sustainability at API

Date: May 27, 2021 Time: 10:00am – 10:45am CET 4:00pm – 4:45pm HKT A replay will be available on demand.

Stay tuned for more webinars coming soon!

News

API shared best practices on the ground at ICPHSO

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

API participated as a speaker at the ICPHSO (International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization) 2021 Annual Virtual Meeting and Symposium last month. We had the opportunity to share some of the best practices by household goods and toy brands to mitigate risks during COVID-19.

Adjusting to the new normal and mitigating safety and quality risks has seen an evolvement in best practices among leading household goods and toy brands and retailers. Although contingency plans and strategies differ across companies, some have been repeatedly put into practice by many. We have identified the top 10 practices seen on the ground to ensure business continuity and ongoing safety and quality in the new normal, including:

Tackling issues upstream: Sharpen your focus on the earlier stages of development and get support from third-party technical teams onsite when your own teams can’t travel.
Relying on local experts: Bringing partners on board who can act and adapt onsite to minimize risk is pivotal when your own teams can’t be there.
Using tech tools to increase your supply chain visibility: Capture and leverage the right data to follow your operations remotely and capitalize on similar advantages. Maximize your data through dedicated platforms that help capture, connect and analyze the intelligence, enabling faster, easier, and more informed decisions.

Interested in learning more about these and some of the other examples seen on the ground?

FACTORY AUDIT

LABORATORY EXPERTISE

QUALITY CONTROL

ESG AND SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

TECHNICAL ADVISORY

Higg Index FEM Offsite Verification

What is API’s Added Value?

Official Communication

Previous webinars

Agenda:

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