Speakers:
Martina Kerbl
VP, ASIA KEY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT, BUREAU VERITAS CPS
Joyce Chau
DIRECTOR - APAC, AMFORI
Description:
In this comprehensive Session, Joyce, Director for Asia Pacific at amfori and a leading voice in sustainability and supply chain management, shares valuable insights on the Quality Management Initiative (QMI) two years after its launch. With over 20 years of experience in driving sustainability initiatives, Joyce explains how QMI was developed in response to retailers' needs for a standardized quality management framework beyond ISO 9001 certification. The initiative has shown remarkable growth, with over 2,000 sites across 20 different industries now engaged in QMI, including sectors like household goods, leisure products, electrical equipment, and textiles. Joyce emphasizes that successful QMI implementation requires buyer-side commitment and an integrated strategy that aligns quality management with social and environmental compliance. The program has evolved from a pilot with numerous suppliers in China to becoming a global requirement for several major retailers, demonstrating its effectiveness in identifying new producers and maintaining quality standards. A key success factor has been the collaboration between various stakeholders, including the German Chamber of Commerce, professional bodies like Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency, and industry partners, making QMI an essential tool in harmonizing quality management practices across global supply chains.