Kenmark Eyewear is a U.S.-based, employee-owned company that designs, manufactures, and distributes eyewear in over 70 countries worldwide. The company sources raw materials from the best suppliers in the industry as part of its commitment to high ethical standards, quality, and consistency.
Situation
In 2014, one of Kenmark Eyewear’s major customers established a conflict minerals program and needed the company’s participation in supplying compliance reports. At the time, Kenmark Eyewear was unfamiliar with the conflict minerals compliance landscape and, at the recommendation of their customer, connected with Source Intelligence to help them navigate the reporting requirements.
Solution
The Source Intelligence team supported Kenmark Eyewear through the beginning of its conflict minerals compliance journey, including determining its compliance goals and what tools, knowledge, and supplier communication strategies were needed to meet those goals. Kenmark Eyewear also benefited from Source Intelligence’s Conflict Minerals software platform, enabling its compliance team to engage with suppliers, validate collected data, and generate compliance reports for customers.
In addition to utilizing Source Intelligence’s software, Kenmark Eyewear gained guidance in facilitating supplier education and communication. From advising Kenmark Eyewear’s compliance team on how to respond to supplier questions to helping suppliers understand their deliverables or overcome language barriers, Source Intelligence’s program managers worked alongside Kenmark Eyewear to boost response rates and reduce supplier fatigue. With this support, the company addressed its primary compliance pain point—supplier responsiveness.
Success
After partnering with Source Intelligence, Kenmark Eyewear’s Conflict Minerals compliance program expanded rapidly as more of their customers required compliance documentation. Thanks to Source Intelligence’s intuitive software and ongoing supplier engagement support, Kenmark Eyewear built a positive relationship with its suppliers and a mutual understanding of what information is needed for compliance reporting. Every August, Kenmark Eyewear’s tier-one suppliers know that it’s conflict minerals season, and they know exactly what is expected of them.
As a result, between 2014 and 2017, Kenmark Eyewear saw substantial growth in its supplier response rates—from around 25% in 2014 to 100% by 2017. Since 2017, they have maintained a 100% supplier response rate.
“Source Intelligence is our go-to partner for all things compliance. The understanding [that the Source Intelligence team has of the compliance landscape] is great. The educational component is there. So many passionate people in the organization helped our team understand exactly what their solutions offer, why it’s important, and what it means to be a part of it. It’s not just a company selling a service to check a box and be done with it—it's so much more than that. Through the education, support, and cheerleading that the Source Intelligence team provided, we understood that a 100% supplier response rate is non-negotiable, and we quickly met that participation goal.”
- Susan Parker, Vice President of Supply Chain
