Service providers: are you overlooking hidden risks?

Have you heard this before?

- Don't worry, we sell services, not products!

- We sponsored t-shirts for the local football team last year! We take social responsibility.

- I buy IT equipment from a reputable supplier. They probably have it under control.

- We are an importer. Not a manufacturer.

Perhaps a bit of an oversimplification - but at Factlines, we regularly encounter objections when it comes to monitoring services. Many service providers and buyers think that responsibility in the supply chain does not involve them, and that the best thing to do is to work locally with corporate social responsibility.

But everyone has a responsibility to make demands and to follow up. Just think - the football team's T-shirts may have been made by children's hands in China, and cleaning is subject to the risk of social dumping. The consultant can't deliver without IT, that's also high risk.

Don't assume your supplier takes your sourcing requirements seriously, verify the information and ask for documentation. With today's information sharing, it is both possible and necessary for service providers to look beyond the snapshot they get from certifications. By asking about the supplier's own follow-up procedures, you show that you are a serious buyer. It pays off in the reputation account.

Even if you are small, you can do your part. Don't underestimate the power and influence you have. You're not alone in making demands, even on services.