Mythbusters Series: Regulatory Compliance

Article   In this blog, we’re going to debunk a few of the misconceptions surrounding your legal requirements as a brand, supplier or business in general.

Myth #1 – “You can access the law for cheaper or even free in some countries”

Our take on it: But even if this is the case in at least some countries, the real difficulty lies somewhere else. The challenge comes in knowing which of the laws and sections of regulations apply to your business and each of its facilities. Quite often, businesses think it’s cheaper to do this themselves and end up falling into a timely and costly trap. Laws come in different formats and are often written in legal jargon, requiring trained lawyers to help understand and break down the obligations. In short, sourcing, deciphering and tracking each regulation for changes is a complicated and stressful task. You need to think about the context of each operational site, the activities that take place there, the location, its jurisdiction and the industry to be 100% confident of your legal obligations and how to ensure your compliance. CleanChain’s Solution: The CleanChain Compliance module can quickly obtain all the regulatory content (applicable laws and legal requirements) for each of your facilities including national, federal, state, provincial, county, district, city and local. Our technology platform transforms this into a uniform format, making it easy to see all of your regulatory requirements for the facility in one place and quickly compare this with other sites (even if this is across multiple countries and jurisdictions).

Myth #2 – “It’s cheaper to pay a consultant to check and filter out our relevant laws”

Our take on it: It is correct to think that a consultant can find the correct laws for your business and its operations, but this manual process is going to take them some time and once they have the final list, how do you know if it is still up-to-date? With the rate of new regulations being created and existing legislation being updated, you’ll instantly be putting your organization at risk of non-compliance with a static list and solution. CleanChain’s Solution:  CleanChain Compliance provides you with up-to-date regulations and instant notifications if anything changes. The platform will provide a quick, translatable, easy-to-understand summary of the change and any associated consequences of non-compliance for your global teams to access. This unified platform also makes it straightforward for auditors to assess your compliance activities in one place.

Myth #3 – “If the law or regulation isn’t tracked, we cannot be liable”

Our take on it: As shocking as it is, we have heard businesses say ‘Ignorance is bliss’ when it comes to the law. Fortunately, there are many companies that act responsibly and lawfully, and most countries also acknowledge that ignorance of the law is not an excuse for non-compliance, it is unlawful and pure negligence. Governments all over the world are increasing legislation and consumers are demanding more transparency from brands, making it harder for organizations to cut corners and operate unfairly. Today, most companies will not accept anything less than compliance with the law and are going even further to provide transparency and sustainable business models with ESG initiatives and CSR commitments. No matter the size of your organization, it’s wise to keep on top of the law or risk steep fines, a loss of business through reputational damages and even potential imprisonment. CleanChain’s Solution: Through the use of automation and our compliance list feature, CleanChain Compliance helps the whole supply chain ensure that everyone knows what is required of them to comply with the law and help to build a just and sustainable world.

Summary: Regulation is only on the rise

The push to Net Zero and the impacts of climate change has seen an unprecedented increase in new worldwide environmental legislation in recent years. This, teamed with the rise of the eco-conscious consumer calls for change quickly, so we will see more and more regulatory change over the coming years, which becomes harder and harder to track. Never has it been more critical to invest in your compliance management tools and processes to streamline your legal requirements. CleanChain’s Compliance module tackles just this, making it quick and easy to determine each of your operational regulations and stay up-to-date with the latest legal obligations. Whether you are a brand or supplier, you can manage your compliance with confidence and gain full transparency across the entire supply chain. Learn more