SGS is one company that provides ‘Testing, Inspection and Assessment, Auditing and Certification’ services as well as Training and Consulting Services to global businesses in order to provide systemic risk assessment and end-to-end solutions to brands, retailers and manufacturers. The need for such solutions is even more intense as, in today’s business landscape, when apparel and textile buyers have stringent quality parameters, compliance and safety standards and sustainable measures in place, it becomes utmost necessary for vendors to stick to a defined set of parameters to gain the trust of buyers.
Team Apparel Resources (AR) had a freewheeling conversation with Shailesh Sharma, Director – Connectivity and Products, SGS – who took the baton of SGS’ Indian market in hands during the difficult Covid-19 time – to understand what it takes to accelerate the growth when too many hurdles are prevalent in the market. Here are the excerpts.
AR: You took charge of SGS India in pandemic-induced environment. What changes have you witnessed in the apparel and textile industry over the last couple of years?
Shailesh: The global supply chain has witnessed one of its most challenging times during the pandemic. Fortunately, the bounce back to normalcy was a quick one. This demonstrates the resilience of this global industry. In the post-pandemic times, sustainability and environmental responsibility have become the key focus areas for the industry. Retailers across the globe are making conscious efforts to achieve sustainable outcomes on various fronts in the textile industry, some of the prominent ones being upcycling, recycling, biodegradability, chemical and effluent management etc. From the consumer perspective as well, products manufactured in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner have become one of the criteria for purchase consideration.
Digital commerce has also picked up pace in the post-pandemic period. There is a clear upsurge in online purchases and e-commerce. Consumers are increasingly becoming digital natives with increased confidence towards the use of online platforms. This presents several opportunities for us as well as other companies in the industry and their value chains.
AR: Every company in the audit/inspection space is expanding its portfolio to remain relevant and to differentiate. What, according to you, makes SGS a leader in its domain?
Shailesh: At SGS, our teams are in constant touch with the industry and closely monitor the trends and developments in the industry. This helps us to continuously review and align our services to ensure that they add value and address the needs of the industry and dynamic supply chains. Upscaling our services to meet the increasing demands of the industry often requires significant investment in R&D, technology and constantly improving our technical expertise to remain ahead of the industry. Our focus on these fronts sets us apart from the competition and is a strong differentiator.
In addition to this, SGS has a vast network of offices, which are strategically located in proximity to the manufacturing hubs in the country. This ensures timely availability of technical assistance to textile and garment manufacturers. When I mention a vast network, it usually brings to one’s mind the question of standardisation of services across this network. This is yet another strong differentiator for us since we have a complete standardisation of service deliverables across our network. Thus, irrespective of whether a customer approaches an office/lab in West Bengal or Tamil Nadu, they can be assured of the levels of service excellence and quality owing to a robust quality management system and service delivery protocols we follow across all locations.
AR: Buyers do have stringent quality and compliance parameters as well as guidelines for the usage of chemicals at the factory level. Do you think factories are putting enough efforts to understand and work on these parameters? How is SGS helping apparel factories to be compliant on all required parameters set by buyers?
Shailesh: Quality expectations of customers are constantly increasing. The buyers expect stringent quality products mainly to meet their local regulatory requirements and NGO’s requirements. On the other hand, with the growth of e-commerce and easy access to online platforms, the customer today has plenty of options available to choose from. Therefore, quality becomes a strong pull factor that draws customers and keeps them loyal to a particular brand.
Maintaining high-quality of output often adds pressure to the apparel manufacturing factories and their supply chains. This is where SGS services add value. We provide solutions to manage Zero Discharge at the manufacturing factories. This addresses the chemical and environmental issues in the supply chain. We provide technical support and feasible solutions to brands, retailers and other players in the value chain through our three strategic areas of services called the Trio approach (which includes Training, Assessment, and Implementation) for training the apparel factories on the stringent quality and compliance requirements. These training modules are interactive with case discussions and help the apparel industry experts to understand the quality and compliance requirements in the industry. In addition to this, SGS supports the apparel industry in assessment of implemented quality compliance programmes.
Our chemical inventory assessment programme ensures that the factory uses safe chemicals for production. This programme is undertaken through an onsite visit and assessment by our chemical expert. To confirm the quality compliance of the product, SGS has a full range of testing capabilities as per REACH regulation, Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), different buyers’ programmes etc., in different geographic locations across India.
AR: To ensure industry advances towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals, how is SGS India developing an ecosystem that works on sustainable chemistry modules?
Shailesh: SGS India is approved as a testing laboratory for conducting tests as per Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) wastewater guideline and ZDHC MRSL conformance indicator. We provide technical support and training to the industry on identification of safer chemistries for production and proper implementation of chemical management system. Our HSC (Hazardous Substance Control) module supports the apparel industry in risk assessment of chemicals and phasing out of the hazardous chemicals in the production process. This module is designed with Chemical Flow Management (CFM) methodology as its core principle. We also provide customised solutions for achieving zero discharge of hazardous chemicals. We have also developed a BRS (Beyond Restricted Substances) module for assessing chemicals and formulations for Manufacturing Restricted Substances List requirements.
AR: Consumers today are disgruntled due to greenwashing attempt of fashion brands. What’s SGS’ way to check claims made by fashion brands about their fibre composition, fabric origin, chemical usage, recycling material authentication and workforce used in making garments?
Shailesh: SGS system of certification is aligned to the international requirements. We undertake a qualitative as well as quantitative verification for recycling assessments. For recycled PET pellet and fibre manufacturing, onsite verifications include document review to recycled material management and establishment of traceability, onsite visit to the production line and the management, implementation and testing of the recycled PET pellet and fibre, which is collected at site.
Our SGS Independently Checked (IC) Mark, Recycled material, Organic material claim, Environmental claim etc., are globally recognised and certified. Independently Checked (IC) Mark is claimed by a manufacturer for any special performance, quality, functionality, durability, usability, preferred material usage and/or workmanship. This mark builds confidence and trust among their consumers about the product being compliant.
AR: As far as sustainability is concerned, upcycling is becoming a buzz word and upcycled garment products also require certification/inspection in some areas. Are there any testing or inspection parameters available for upcycled products? How can SGS help brands and vendors catering to upcycled products?
Shailesh: SGS has developed programmes for assessing upcycled products. These are based on onsite visit to the manufacturing site and reviewing the related documents. The performance of the recycled products can be tested as per the standard test methods. The products should fulfil legal requirements and claim validation. This mark is highly visible and provides consumers with testing information that is easy to understand. The product information is easily accessed by scanning the QR code or by visiting the SGS Certified Products directory. SGS voluntary product marks ensure that the products meet the regulatory requirements against which they have been tested and evaluated.
AOI: Can you define the most common challenges in garment factories that SGS India has observed in quality auditing, quality inspection, production planning etc., while conducting training sessions? Do you find most challenges belong to management or workers?
Shailesh: Quality and compliance requirements to maintain a healthy chemical management in production facility require good levels of awareness right from top management down to the workforce handling the day-to-day operations. To enhance awareness and knowledge, factories need to arrange frequent trainings.
In recent times, factories are becoming increasingly aware about sustainability and benefits of implementing sustainable manufacturing practices for value generation. However, factory management teams face challenge in accommodating the related additional costs in the recent inflationary economic conditions. SGS continuously engages with the industry through our supply chain management tools and trainings to enable factories to meet the new sustainability standards and buyer requirements. Currently, sustainable manufacturing practices are majorly focusing on energy conservation, green energy usage, reducing water usage and recycling of wastewater.
AR: Textile toys (soft toys) for kids and pets are making their space rapidly in the Indian manufacturing industry – thanks to shifting orders from China. Do you think India will be able to stand out in soft toy manufacturing in the future as compared to its counterparts in Asia? How is SGS helping make soft toy manufacturing robust in India?
Shailesh: With the re-arrangement in geo-political scenario, most of the global giants in the soft toys segment are eyeing India as a sourcing hub. The ‘Make in India’ mission of our Government coupled with shift in sourcing pattern is poised to infuse a fresh lease of life to toys’ manufacturing in India. We have the much-needed expertise and resources available within our shores which support the domestic manufacturing of soft toys. At SGS, we have invested in developing enhanced capabilities for testing and inspections in this product category, which are available within the vicinity of the manufacturing hubs.
AR: The demand from consumers is driving growth in the footwear and leather products. Is there a separate TIC system in SGS for ensuring quality and safety of these products?
Shailesh: SGS has a proactive approach to support the footwear and leather industries to keep ahead in the legal regulatory requirements and performance requirements.
Under testing services for leather and footwear, we provide comprehensive testing services based on legal restricted substance testing as well as buyer-based protocols. Our laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to undertake various tests including physical performance testing like strength properties, fastness properties and functional properties, based on the destination country requirements and buyer protocol.
We have a team of experienced and knowledgeable inspectors who provide DUPRO (During Production) and FRI (Final Random Inspection) services based on the specification set defined by the end buyers. We also provide FOOTSᵀᴹ – Footwear Operational, Optimisation, Technical Service, which is a unique service for the footwear Industry. Under this service, SGS offers inspection services that can be integrated into the quality management system of the client company.
FOOTSᵀᴹ covers
- TFA – Technical Factory Assessment. When: Before a buyer places a purchase order with a factory
- PRC – Production Readiness Check. When: Before mass production begins
- OPC – Onsite Production Control. When: At the beginning of each stage of production
Under certification service for leather and footwear Industries, we offer sustainability services for industries and products. We provide SGSMART certification scheme, Vegan verification and Independently checked certification, SGS Green Mark for Hazardous Substance Assessed and Product Carbon Footprint. Since SGS is a contributing partner with Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) for tanneries, we offer certification service through SLF based on ESG protocol.
