Parcel delivery provider Hermes starts textile sourcing services

German company will use the experience it gained from auditing and performing quality checks on suppliers to offer services and IT for textile companies.    The Germany-based parcel delivery company Hermes has started a new business unit designed to provide auditing, quality control, and IT-based supply chain services to the textile industry.
   The new division, called ASTRA Supply Chain Services, was launched as a result of the experience Hermes has gained in performing quality control audits and supplier checks in its network.
   “Through ASTRA, (Hermes) seeks to provide these services to clients, particularly in the textile sector,” the company said.
   The company cited the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh as the point at which supplier audits became a major global issue.
   ASTRA maintains inspection centers in key sourcing regions including Dhaka, Shanghai, Qingdao, Bangkok, Tirupur, Mumbai, Istanbul and Izmir.
   American Shipper reported on how shippers are starting to consider the use of sourcing software and services in its May issue.