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Supplier: Responding to a Supply Chain Mapping Request from a brand

In this article, you will learn how to confirm your processes and map facilities for your brand/customer's mapping request

Introduction

When a brand/customer sends you a supply chain mapping request, you will receive an email notification and find the request waiting in your Supplier Portal.

The mapping request has two stages: first you confirm which processes you perform, then you map the facilities involved in each process. This guide covers both stages.

Table of contents

Before you start

  • Make sure you are logged in to your Supplier Portal account (read more here)
  • Check that your facilities and subsuppliers are already set up in your portal — you will need these when completing facility mapping in Stage 2 (read more here)
  • Have an overview of which processes your organisation performs for the styles and items included in the request

Finding your mapping requests

You will receive an email notification when a brand sends you a mapping request. The email goes directly to the contact person the brand selected when creating the request.

To access the request:

  • Log in to your Supplier Portal
  • Navigate to Supply Chain Mapping
  • Use the Column Selector and Filter to easily find the correct request




  • Open the request from the Pending requests list by clicking on the "Ref. number"

  • NOTE: The request shows the brand name, the styles/items included, and the process categories the brand has selected.

Stage 1 — Reviewing and confirming processes

  1. Navigate to the Action column and click on the three dots to get to the action: "Map Suppliers":

  2. You now get this view:

  3. On the left-hand side, you see a list of styles that are included in the mapping, under the title: "Selected styles & Items"
  4. On the right-hand side, you have a list of "Processes to be mapped."

NOTE: The brand has selected one or more process categories that they want mapped. Your task is to review each category and identify which specific processes you actually perform.

a. Selecting your processes

When creating the mapping request the brand/customer has selected various processes they want mapped. You see them here:


To review the processes in each category:

1. Click (on the down arrow) to expand the category and view the individual processes requested by the brand/customer.

2. Some processes may be marked as Mandatory by the brand. These are pre-selected and cannot be deselected — they will always be included in the mapping. Mandatory processes are clearly indicated in the interface:

3. Use the toggle to select further processes.

4. A counter shows 'X / Y selected' so you can track your progress per category

 

TIP: Only select the processes you genuinely perform for these styles or items. Accurate selection leads to better supply chain data for both you and your brand customer.

 

 

b. Understanding the process categories

Processes are grouped into 6 categories:

Category What it covers
Garment Manufacturing & Assembly Core assembly processes such as cutting, sewing, and quality inspection
Treatment & Finishing Processes Post-production treatments such as washing, dyeing, and printing
Textile Production Fabric and yarn production, including weaving and knitting
Components and Materials Supply Supply of trims, buttons, zips, labels, and similar inputs
Raw Materials Upstream material processing such as cotton ginning or leather tanning
Other Any processes that fall outside the categories above

 

 

c. Confirming your selection

Once you have reviewed all categories and selected your processes, click 'Confirm processes'.

This moves the request to Initiated status and signals to the brand that you are ready to begin facility mapping.

NOTE: After confirming, processes can no longer be changed unless the brand puts the request On Hold.

 

Stage 2 — Mapping facilities to processes

With processes confirmed, the next step is to map the specific facilities involved in each process. This is where you link your subsuppliers and facility locations to the individual processes you perform.

Make sure your facilities are set up before completing this stage — read more in the Subsupplier management, Facilities & Processes article.

The options available for each process depend on what you have in your subsupplier library.

  • Click a cell to assign a facility — you can select multiple facilities if relevant
  • Use the checkboxes to update multiple rows in bulk
  • The progress bar shows how many mappings you still have to complete

 

Submitting for brand approval

When you have mapped all processes to their facilities, click 'Submit for approval'. The request moves to Awaiting Approval status and the brand is notified to review your mapping.

If the brand identifies anything that needs adjustment, they will return the request to you with a Needs Review status.

 

Requests Needing Review

If the brand marks one or more mappings as “Needs review” the request moves back to the Pending tab.

On the mapping request, the mappings marked for review will appear outlined in red.

Correct the mapping and then resubmit to the brand.

 

Request statuses explained

Status What it means Your available actions
Requested Brand has sent the request. Awaiting your process confirmation. Map Suppliers
Initiated You have confirmed your processes. Facility mapping can now proceed. Map Suppliers
On Hold Brand has paused the request. No action required from you. —
Awaiting Approval You have submitted your completed mapping to the brand. —
Needs Review Brand has flagged specific mappings for you to revisit. Map Suppliers
Approved Brand has approved the full mapping. —