What is Track&Trace?

MADE-BY’s Track&Trace system is an online tool set up to make the production of an item of clothing from raw material to end product more transparent to the consumer. The Track&Trace system enables the consumer to trace the various supply chain stages that are involved in producing their garment.

The system, developed by Historic Futures, was fine-tuned to fit the fashion industry by MADE-BY. This kind of system, which is unique within the fashion industry, offers full supply chain traceability directly to MADE-BY partner brands' consumers. 

How does it work?

Once a MADE-BY partner brand incorporates sustainable products into their collection they can place a unique Track&Trace code on the labelling of garments they produce. This code can then be entered by the consumer on the brand’s or MADE-BY’s website. This allows them to see a chain showing where and by whom the item of clothing was produced, from the harvesting of raw materials through to the factory and finished garment.

On Thursday 22nd September 2011 the German consumer magazine Stiftung Warentest published a story alleging some inaccuracies with the Track&Trace system. In particular it stated:
1.    Track&Trace was working for only one style tested in the Jackpot collection
2.    The organic certificates displayed on Chetna Organic’s website were out of date
3.    That the information on Track&Trace relating to Raijlakshmi Cotton Mills and Chetna Organic was misleading
4.    That some of the supply chains on Track&Trace were short considering the extended nature of garment supply chains.

MADE-BY accepts that:
•    Jackpot have five traceable styles this season. On Thursday 22nd Sept, two of the five styles were not traceable. We have identified the blockage in the supply chain, and the supply chain partners are entering the data to ensure the remaining two styles will be traceable by Tuesday 27th Sept. Tues 4th Oct Update: All data is now inputted in the system. One style is not live due to a technical fault. We are working with our support team to resolve this.
•   There still remain some styles from brands 100% Organic Cotton and Imps&Elfs that are not yet traceable. We are working to resolve this and will continue to update you. Tues 4th Oct Update: Imps&Elfs styles are now fully traceable. We are still working to resolve styles for 100% Organic Cotton.
•    Chetna Organic are a partner organisation of MADE-BY. They have corrected the oversight on their website and uploaded the new and in-date organic certificates
•    MADE-BY have changed the information on Track&Trace relating to Chetna Organic and Raijlakshmi Cotton Mills to explain the full scope of the activities covered by these organisations. Chetna Organic not only represents organic growers but also takes responsibility for the ginning of cotton. Raijlakshmi Cotton Mills is a large vertically integrated supplier, it is responsible for Cut Make Trim, knitting, stitching and dyeing of fabrics, for a number of the brands using Track&Trace. The vertically integrated nature of these chains explains why some of the supply chains on Track&Trace are shorter than many other garment supply chains.