Mill Qualification Program (MQP)

In the competitive apparel sector, retailers and brands are increasingly concerned about the quality of the textiles that mills supply. They know it is fundamental to overall garment quality.

Today, however, they also appreciate the extent to which social and environmental performance figures into the value equation – especially now that it’s apparent that the most socially and environmentally responsible mills deliver more consistently on quality excellence. The key challenge, of course, becomes one of accessing reliable data on mill social and environmental performance, including measures related to improved efficiency and overall quality.  Better data means better buying decisions.

The Mill Qualification Program, developed by Intertek, provides leading suppliers and brands with a new operating environment that integrates sustainability considerations with continuous improvement in the quality performance of fabric mills.  The MQP helps drive much of the complexity and redundancy out of the procurement process. The program employs a unified and standardized approach for mill performance measurement in key areas, including social considerations, quality assurance, lab certification and environmental sustainability.  The MQP has emerged as the perfect tool for evaluating, benchmarking and monitoring mills’ performance and ultimately ensuring improvement.  Its focus on collaboration encourages a partnership between Buyers and Suppliers in order to create a better understanding of and alignment with sourcing strategies and expectations.

The MQP bridges key sustainability measures with quality performance, so that purchasers can base buying decisions in accordance with value drivers beyond price.

MQP Utilizes Four (4) Core Evaluation modules:

• Lab certification – Certification of mill laboratory capabilities and technical inputs for  fabric performance testing using industry-accepted methodologies and standards (i.e.  AATCC, ASTM, ERN/ISO).
• Quality performance – Evaluation of all stages of fabric production: fiber production,  processing and spinning; yarn preparation; weaving/knitting, fabric bleaching, dyeing, printing, and finishing.
• Environmental performance – Evaluation of mills’ environmental performance in areas such as waste management, water consumption and treatment, energy conservation, pollution prevention and energy efficiency, occupational and industrial hygiene.
• Social performance – Evaluation of compliance with local applicable laws related to  employees’ legal rights and protections.

MQP delivers these key benefits to your business:

• Enhanced visibility into supply chain performance trends for better risk mitigation.
• Greater transparency and trust between buyers and suppliers.
• More informed decision-making support based on real time performance metrics.
• Improved speed to market.
• Recognition through an Achievement Award for top performing suppliers.

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