Transparency has become a reality, not an aspiration, in today’s marketplace. Understandably, customers and consumers in the dietary supplement industry have learned to expect more from companies, and are becoming progressively more demanding.
Ingredient manufacturers are becoming the cultural pivot point for change, and supply chains have been the focus of improvement. Expectations about transparency are eclipsing the rate of change though, as demand for more information increases. While companies seek openness from their supply chain, what they ultimately want is the trust of their consumers. To that end, we present here the paradigm of trust transparency—the intersection point of trust and transparency—which is a proactive and top-of-mind strategic approach to creating a process and value system that aligns organizations and their internal and external partners to develop tangible, quantifiable ROI.
There are many obstacles to overcoming perceived deficiencies in supply chain transparency including:
- Inertia & Status Quo
- Culture
- Competitive Environment
- Technology/Geography
Inertia & Status Quo
Today’s supply chain is still opaque, but slowly moving toward more transparency and clarity. It’s easy to maintain information privately that hasn’t traditionally been shared. Historically, we’ve been taught that we don’t get in trouble for what we don’t say. Today though, what is not said can be as damaging as what is. Consumers and society are shifting attitudes to require a responsible dialogue of truthful representation at an increasing level of accuracy. It is essential to recognize the shift in expectation and understand the need for both good and bad information to be shared.
Culture
Our supply chains traverse a variety of cultures that offer varying levels of transparency. To excuse misinformation or incomplete information as a product of culture, or translation of words or ideas, is not acceptable in today’s market. It’s our responsibility to educate about the importance of transparency and not enable, excuse, or accommodate a culture that is not open to disclosure. Rather, we should make it a point to reward transparency initiatives.
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