The Cahn Group studies situations, finds solutions that bring positive results

Tamale, Ghana

Studies

CASE STUDY 01
Effective Grievance Handling; Issue Identification and Resolution

Maps to:

Brands, retailers and licensees
Manufacturers
Factory workers

Problem
Just outside of Shenzhen, China, a factory making sleeping bags for global brands was experiencing communication breakdowns between managers and workers that threatened to disrupt production. The brands wanted to help this factory to prevent workplace unrest by making sure that small problems were identified and resolved before they escalated.

Solution
The Cahn Group designed a multi-year program to augment the factory’s worker grievance handling procedures. A worker – management committee was established to align on metrics and assume accountability for project implementation. Training was provided to the committee members each quarter.

Result
A culture of listening, responding and anticipating worker concerns reduced the risk of worker unrest and increased the likelihood of lower turnover and greater worker satisfaction.

CASE STUDY 02
Managing Corporate Responsibility for Small and Medium Enterprises

Maps to

Brands, retailers and licensees

Problem
Large global brands and retailers have dedicated substantial staff and program resources to supporting corporate social responsibility and human rights in supply chains.

These efforts include placement of employees in countries of production who can inspect factory workplace conditions and engage with suppliers to enhance capacity to meet codes of conduct.

But for some companies like smaller collegiate licenses, brands or retailers, it is not possible to set up dedicated teams of people around the globe.

Solution
The Cahn Group supports small- and medium-size brands, retailers and licensees by examining their supply chains and identifying risks to workers, based on experience and knowledge of conditions in producing countries.

Then, The Cahn Group serves as thought partner and as day-to-day implementation support in close collaboration with sourcing teams and senior management.

Result
Smaller companies get the benefit of decades of experience working at every level of the supply chain to tailor a corporate responsibility program that reflects the risk-based needs, organizational structure and available resources. “Smaller companies may be just getting started,” says Cahn. “We’re here to help.”

CASE STUDY 03
Enabling Factory Success Through Better Buying Practices: Responsible Purchasing Practices

Maps to

Brands, retailers and licensees

Problem
Brands and retailers increasingly recognize that improving factory workplace conditions and reducing inefficiencies in buying practices go hand-in-hand.

When brands and retailers recognize the synergy between buyer purchasing practices and factory workplace conditions, they open the door to achieving operational benefits such as improved on-time delivery rates and higher quality, along with improved workplace compliance performance, such as reduced excessive overtime hours in factories.

When they don’t, brands and retailers overlook inefficiencies in their own product creation processes and can make it difficult for factories to comply with worker codes of conduct.

Solutions
The Cahn Group helps companies understand their impacts by using a systematic, step-by-step approach that:

Identifies needed improvements through credible 360° research and analysis
Creates recommendations for addressing needed changes in dialogue with key internal stakeholders

Provides training for employees to create the necessary competencies that will sustain program changes.

Result
The Cahn Group has opened companies’ eyes to hundreds of actionable steps that can be taken to improve buyer purchasing practices in ways that make it possible for manufacturers to better adhere to workplace codes of conduct.

“Improving buyer purchasing practices is one of the most fruitful ways to improve business efficiency and improve protections for workers at the same time,” Cahn says.

CASE STUDY 04
Understanding the Implications of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights on Company CSR Programs

Maps to

Brands, retailers, licensees
Multi-stakeholder initiatives
Manufacturers

Problem
The Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights establish the authoritative global standard on the respective roles of business and governments in helping ensure that companies respect human rights in their own operations and through their business relationships. Many companies are not clear on what the impact of the Guiding Principles are on their approach to corporate responsibility and their current labor compliance programs in particular.

Solutions
The Cahn Group conducts benchmarking studies that compare current company practice against the expectations of the due diligence process called for by the Guiding Principles. Recommendations are then made that reflect company-specific organizational structure and business relationships. Studies include onsite interviews with senior managers and review of relevant documents.

Result
Companies that create plans to apply the Guiding Principles to their corporate responsibility or labor compliance programs are able to better anticipate the risks of harm to workers and to put in place initiatives to eliminate or mitigate these risks. The Cahn Group has identified dozens of concrete steps that companies can take to apply the Guiding Principles. “The Guiding Principles are a powerful tool that should not be ignored,” says Cahn.