New Cascale Better Buying research finds that when buyers accept SLCP's Converged Assessment Framework, suppliers report reduced audit burden and cost savings that can support workplace improvements.
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / November 10, 2026 / Excessive and duplicative audits place time and cost burdens on suppliers, potentially diverting resources from meaningful, sustained improvements in working conditions. Audit harmonization offers an opportunity to reduce these burdens while supporting more consistent assessment and follow-up processes.
Cascale Better Buying delivers transparent buyer-supplier relationships to drive responsible purchasing practices and build stronger partnerships for more resilient supply chains with less disruption and reputational risk.
A new report analyzed findings from the 2026 Cascale Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index (BBPPI) and showed that suppliers report tangible benefits when buyers accept the Social & Labor Convergence Program's Converged Assessment Framework (CAF). Beyond greater clarity on corrective actions and reduced auditing time, nearly half of suppliers who reported CAF acceptance also reported savings on auditing expenses.
Those savings can support priorities that extend beyond compliance. Among suppliers who reported auditing cost savings, 71.6 percent invested in the workplace, 70.4 percent offered new programs or services to workers, and 62.3 percent invested in new technology.
These findings underscore the potential for harmonized assessments to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens and help suppliers direct more resources toward improvements that benefit workers and their businesses.
Key Findings from "Cascale Better Buying Win-Win Sustainable Partnership Report for SLCP"
- 75.8 percent of suppliers reported greater clarity on corrective actions when buyers accepted SLCP's Converged Assessment Framework (CAF).
- 60.1 percent reported reduced staff time devoted to auditing, while 46.2 percent reported savings on auditing expenses.
- 50.4 percent of suppliers said buyers accepted results from other recently completed audits or assessments in lieu of requiring new ones. Another 39.6 percent said buyers accepted SLCP's CAF.
- 71.6 percent of suppliers who reported auditing cost savings reinvested those savings in workplace improvements, while 70.4 percent used them to offer new programs or services to workers.
Cascale Better Buying empowers manufacturers and suppliers to participate in surveys at no cost, while brands and retailers pay a subscription to receive anonymized results. While participation is open to Cascale Corporate members and non-members alike, members receive multiple benefits.
Cascale Corporate membership includes benefits designed to help brands and retailers strengthen their responsible purchasing practices and supplier partnerships:
- Cascale Better Buying Snapshot Survey
- Cascale Better Buying e-learning courses
- Decent Work Communities of Practice, including the recent series available now on Cascale Connect
On Cascale Connect, corporate members can access deeper analysis of these findings and explore what they mean for responsible purchasing practices, buyer-supplier relationships, and more resilient supply chains.
Become a Cascale member to access deeper insights and advance collaborative solutions that support better purchasing practices and working conditions.
Join Cascale!
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SOURCE: Cascale
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/cascale-report-highlights-benefits-of-audit-harmonization-1249324
