Ariba, nonprofit partner on slave labor determination tool

SAP’s procurement technology subsidiary and Made in a Free World have developed a web-based application to help importers scrutinize suppliers’ use of slave or child laborers.    SAP’s procurement technology subsidiary Ariba has partnered with the San Francisco-based nonprofit Made in A Free World to develop an internet-based tool designed to help importers identify suppliers that may be using slave or child labor.
   The tool combines information from Ariba’s 16-year-old database of information on suppliers with Made in A Free World’s Forced Labor Risk Determination and Mitigation database to help companies better understand their potential exposure to suppliers that may be using forced labor.
   “We live in a digitally connected and data-driven economy,” Justin Dillion, Founder and CEO of Made In A Free World, said in a statement. “And we have the tools and information needed to uncover and end it.”
   Dillion estimates there are 20 million to 30 million forced laborers worldwide.
   “Companies are now being held accountable, not just for their supply chain, but for their sub-tier supply chain,” said Dillion. “And this requires a completely new level of information and transparency.”