The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) is a voluntary, joint government business partnership for supply chain security & border security program which is led by United State Customs and Border Protection (CBP).  C-TPAT can be applied / implemented to any importers, carriers, consolidators, licensed customs brokers, and manufacturers who wants to trade internationally and mainly into USA. It was drawn with an intent to determine & reduce risk throughout their international supply chain by a standard documented process.

The program has historically been oriented around imports into the United States. Air carriers, consolidators, cross-border highway carriers, marine port authorities, ocean carriers, rail carriers, terminal operators, third party logistics (3PLs) providers, Customs brokers and importers are eligible for C-TPAT certification in the United States.

Initially C-TPAT program was launched in November 2001 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection with initial seven large U.S. companies.The program is of key importance to importers who have derived benefits from the program. In Canada, cross-border or long-haul highway carriers and manufacturers may be C-TPAT certified. Mexican manufacturers and cross-border highway carriers may also be certified.

PQSmitra Team helps in easy understanding of the C-TPAT requirements and simple methods for practical implementation. The initial review of the existing practices being followed at the organization is performed and road map is prepared for successful audit. 100% documentation support is offered to expedite the implementation process.The implementation process is described below:

• Initial visits and review of the existing system with respect to C-TPAT Requirements
• Gap analysis and planning for compliance
• Documentation including procedures, work instructions etc.
• Internal audits to verify the compliance prior to final audit
• Management review
• C-TPAT audit / verification
• Closure of non-conformities

The Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex) is a non-profitable organization for businesses, who are committed towards the continuous improvement of ethical performance within their supply chains. It was founded in 2001 by a group of UK retailers to merge the social audit standards and monitoring practices.

Through SEDEX a registered user can store, access and share online information in a secured way. This being a multi user system, buyers can view and manage data for multiple suppliers. As well as suppliers can share data for multiple buyers. It is fully secured and the access is based on the user profile.

Sedex is not a certification audit, but it’s the name of the organization and SMETA is the name of an audit methodology. The concept used describes a methodology based on the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code.

Sedex leads to work with buyers & suppliers to deliver improvements in responsible and ethical business practices in global supply chains. Sedex composes of four pillars that are Labour, Health and Safety, Environment and Business Ethics. While audits can be carried out for 2 pillars or 4 pillars.

The initial review of the existing practices being followed at the organization is the starting point for the SMETA audit in accordance with SEDEX requirements. PQSmitra Team helps in easy understanding of the SEDEX requirements and simple methods for practical implementation. 100% documentation support is offered to achieve successful audit results.The implementation process is described below:

• Initial visits and review of the existing system with respect to SEDEX Requirements
• Gap analysis and planning for compliance
• Documentation including procedures, work instructions etc.
• Internal audits to verify the compliance prior to final audit
• Management review
• SMETA audit (2 Pillars or 4 Pillars)as per SEDEX requirements.
• Closure of non-conformities

Social Accountability 8000 is the 1st International Certification standard, which is based on social responsibility. Its main aim of this standard is to give assurance to workers rights in such a way that everyone associated with the organization i.e. workers, trade unions, government including the company itself wins.

SA 8000 is based on International Human Rights conventions (International Labor Organization, the International Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) and relevant Local Legislation. It focus is to guarantee basic rights of workers involved in the production processes of the product being supplied.

SA 8000 is an internationally recognized standard, which can be applied / implemented to any production or service industries. This standard can be uniformly applied to organizations of any size or description.

It prescribes controls over those activities that the organization carries out. Implementation of SA 8000 will ensure compliance to local laws laid down in regards to wages, promote a safe and healthy work environment through a framework that allows the organizations to identify and control its risk related to health and safety, reduce the number of accidents and improve legislative compliance.

The initial review of the existing practices being followed at the organization is the starting point for the SA 8000 certification process. PQSmitra Team helps in easy understanding of the SA 8000 requirements and simple methods for effective compliance. 100% documentation support is offered to achieve successful certification in addition to enhanced operational controls. The implementation process is described below:

• Initial visits and review of the existing system with respect to social accountability
• Gap analysis and preparation of the action plan
• Documentation including procedures, work instructions etc.
• Routine system verification &Internal audits
• Management review
• Certification audit – Stage 1 & Stage 2
• Closure of non-conformities
• Rewarding the certificate to the organization

The Fire Safety Audit is the inspection which is carried out in order to evaluate the fire safety system & how it will be managed in case of fire at your organization. The main objective of the Fire Safety Audit is to take care of the Fire safety related hazards and risks at your organization.

The Fire Safety Audit helps an organization to ensures its compliance to the local legal & Statutory requirements. During a Fire Safety Audit, an Auditor will evaluate the existing fire safety system on the basis of the Identified Fire hazard & the plans or control measures which is prepared to eliminate or mitigate the Fire hazard risk.

During the Fire safety audit, all the relevant documents & procedures will be assessed by the auditor in order to evaluate the preparedness of the organization in case of the Fire. The Fire Safety audits help an organization to create a sound Fire system to mitigate the hazards generated by the Fire with the minimum damage to the assets of the organization.

Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), formerly Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production, is an independent, objective, non-profit team of global social compliance experts dedicated to promoting safe, lawful, humane and ethical manufacturing around the world through certification and education. The WRAP certification program mainly focuses on the apparel, footwear and sewn products sectors.

Wrap Certification principles are generally based on the workplace regulation and local laws. This is the world’s largest factory based certification program for textile & footwear industries. A WRAP certification audit will inspect your entire production process to ensure you are compliant with the WRAP Principles and provides your customers assurance that your goods are ethically produced also demonstrates commitment towards socially and environmentally ethical standards and represents responsible production.

WRAP also administers a comprehensive training program, which has become one of the leaders in the industry. They provide training program like Internal Auditor, Fire Safety & C-TPAT for anybody who wants and Lead Auditor Course training only for accredited monitoring partners.

PQSmitra Team helps organizations to implement the requirements of WRAP in most simple and systematic manner. The methodology of system implementation covers Initial review, planning followed by implementation and documentation. PQSmitra Team offers active support and hand holding to organizations to achieve successful system implementation and positive audit results.100% documentation support is offered to expedite the implementation process.The implementation process is described below:

• Initial visits and review of the existing system with respect to WRAP Requirements
• Gap analysis and planning for compliance
• Documentation including procedures, work instructions etc.
• Internal audits to verify the compliance prior to final audit
• Management review
• WRAP audit / verification
• Closure of non-conformities

It’s a self-assessment standard used in the apparel and footwear industry it is used for the assessment of environmental & social sustainability throughout the supply chain. The HIGG index was developed by a non-profit organization called Sustainable Apparel Coalition which consists of members from apparel or footwear retailers, affiliates, and trade associates, it also consists of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, institutions, and environmental non-profits organizations.

The first version of this index was developed in the year 2012, named after the Higgs Boson search which was discovered in the same year. The second version which was released in the year 2015 included social labour and convergence project. These changes aim to establish a uniform standard for auditing labour conditions as well as social impact in the field of apparel and footwear.

Comprised of 5 tools that form its core, which together assess the social & environmental performance on the supply chain as well as the impact it leaves on the environment. These tools include the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM), Higg Facility Social & Labour Module (FSLM), Higg Brand & Retail Module (BRM), Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI), and Higg Product Module (PM).

The term safety is of great importance in order to ensure that the day-to-day operations of organizations are carried out smoothly without any disruption. We all know that there is always a potential hazard which is related to our daily operations.

The Safety Audit is the most comprehensive way to evaluate the effectiveness & efficiency of the Health & Safety management system implemented at an organization.

The Safety Audit helps an organization to understand the gaps in the health & safety management system and provide a guidance for the continual improvement. The Safety audit acts as a proactive tool which prepares the organization to eliminate or minimize the potential hazard, thereby strengthening its Health & Safety management system.

The Zero Defect Zero Effect scheme is operated by the Quality Council of India and aims to create an effective ecosystem for competitive, quality & clean manufacturing which would in turn help promote the development of world-class made in India products by MSME’s.

The vision of ZED is to enable the advancement of our Indian industry to a position of reputation in the global marketplace and leverage India’s emergence as the world’s supplier through the Made in India mark. The ZED is an integrated and comprehensive certification system that will account for productivity, quality, pollution mitigation, energy efficiency, financial status, human resource, and technological depth including design and IPR in both products and processes.

The effective system implementation in the operational processes as per the ZED Certificate needs is the prime focus of PQSmitra. The value-adding approach by PQSmitra Team has supported hundreds of clients to achieve ZED certification without any difficulty. The implementation process is described below:

• Initial visit and Helping in Company Registration on ZED portal
• Review of the existing system with respect to ZED Questionnaires
• Gap analysis and planning for compliance
• Documentation including procedures, work instructions, etc.
• Submission of Documentations as per Questionnaires
• Assessment Rating
• Rewarding the certificate to the organization

EcoVadis is the first and largest collaborative platform in the world for trading partners to share sustainability performance information.EcoVadis provides a holistic sustainability rating service of companies, delivered via a global cloud-based SaaS platform. The EcoVadis Rating covers a broad range of non-financial management systems including Environmental, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement impacts.

EcoVadis combines technology and sustainability expertise to deliver simple and reliable supplier scorecards. Beyond the initial assessment, EcoVadis offers TfS members and its suppliers a platform to monitor continuous improvements of the sustainability practices along the supply chain.

PQSmitra Team helps organizations to implement the requirements of EcoVadis in the most simple and systematic manner. The methodology of system implementation covers Initial review, planning followed by implementation, and documentation. PQSmitra Team offers active support and hand-holding to organizations to achieve successful system implementation and positive audit results. 100% documentation support is offered to expedite the implementation process. The implementation process is described below:

• Initial visit and Helping in Company Registration on EcoVadis
• Review of the existing system with respect to EcoVadis Questionnaires
• Gap analysis and planning for compliance
• Documentation including procedures, work instructions, etc.
• Submission of Documentations as per Questionnaires
• Assessment Rating
• Corrective Action on Observations

The electricity has become an integral part of the daily operations of organizations but this electricity possesses threats to the organizations on day to day basis as well.

To safeguard the organization from the threats & hazards pertaining to Electricity an organization conducts the electrical safety audit, the main objective of the electrical safety audit is to evaluate the current system established to control the hazards related to electricity.

The electrical safety audit examines the safety & security of the electrical insulations installed in any industry or organization. The electrical safety audit is conducted by the experienced professionals which provides the necessary assistance to the organizations in reducing the risk related to electricity & compliance to the safety standards.

The Global Security Verification (GSV) Standard is a program established by Intertek to help importers as well as suppliers in assessing their security measures based on international supply-chain security requirements. The aim of the GSV program is to partner with international suppliers and importers to drive the development of a global security verification process, resulting in greater assurance, risk control, efficiency and cost savings for all participants.

The GSV program is a collaboration between industry thought leaders and decision makers to assure both governments and companies that supply chains operate efficiently and comply with the multiple global supply chain security initiatives, including C-TPAT (Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism), PIP (Partners in Protection) and AEO (Authorized Economic Operators), WCO framework and related border security requirements.

Global Security Verification program unites a seasoned team of customs, in-country field inspectors, and information technology experts with proven business procedures and proprietary technology to collaborate on security issues related to international trade. These program is helps to secure trade flow, protection against terrorist acts & to combat illegal trafficking.

The internationally renowned GSV program provides global importers and their suppliers with the means to implement a single, industry-wide supply chain security verification process, resulting in competitive advantages such as greater assurance, risk control, efficiency and cost savings. GSV participants can leverage the program’s consolidated industry data accumulated to date from close to 7,000 global verifications conducted in over 60-plus countries, all with the goal of better understanding and managing supply chain security issues, trends and good practices.

QSmitra Team helps in easy understanding of the GSV requirements and simple methods for practical implementation. The initial review of the existing practices being followed at the organization is performed and road map is prepared for successful audit. 100% documentation support is offered to expedite the implementation process.The implementation process is described below:

• Initial visits and review of the existing system with respect to GSVR Requirements
• Gap analysis and planning for compliance
• Documentation including procedures, work instructions etc.
• Internal audits to verify the compliance prior to final audit
• Management review
• GSV audit / verification.
• Closure of non-conformities

OEKO-TEX also known as the International Association for Research and Testing in the field of Textile & Leather Ecology, founding members of the OEKO-TEX consisted of German Hohenstein Institute and the Austrian Textile Research Institute. OEKO-TEX has its headquarters in Zurich founded in the year 1992, it was founded in response to rising consumer concerns regarding the harmful matters in textile products.

OEKO-TEX has its presence worldwide, it certifies that textiles and fabrics are free from harmful chemicals and therefore safe for human utilization. OEKO-TEX Label assures that your product does not possess harmful levels of more than 100 substances that are known to be potentially harmful to human health. OEKO-TEX offers several different labels, the main one is known as Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX.

There was no reliable product label for consumers to assess the human ecological quality of textiles prior to the introduction of the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100, nor was there a uniform safety standard for companies in the textile and clothing industry that enabled a practical assessment of potentially harmful substances in textile products. As a result, the Austrian Textile Research Institute and the German Research Institute Hohenstein collaborated to produce the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 based on their existing test standards.

PQSmitra provides complete support to your organization to get certified to the OEKO-TEX Standard. PQSmitra has an experienced team of engineers to help you to get thru the certification process with ease.

The Process adopted by PQSmitra for OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Certification process are as follows:

• Initial visit to client’s organization to understand the products to be certified.
• Selecting the samples of the products to be certified for OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
• Assisting the organization to fill the form.
• Assisting for the documentation required for the certification.
• Submission of the sample of the product to the OEKO-TEX institute.
• OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Certificate awarded after successful passing of the test.
• Onsite OEKO-TEX Audit conducted to ensure the details stated.
• Closure of non-conformities if any

The Energy Audit is an inspection survey which analysis the history and current energy utilization of all processes in an organization. The main objective of an energy audit is to identify & quantify the waste of energy that occurs in the respective process within the organization.

As energy plays a vital role in deciding the product cost, by conducting an energy audit at a regular interval an organization can exclude the unnecessary waste of energy from its processes.

The Energy audit not only identifies the wastage of the energy in processes but also provides a detailed analysis of the wastage & the suggestions to improve the energy saving practices within the organization.