Real Time Supply Chain Visibility as a Catalyst for Responsible Fashion

The 2020s, it seems, have become the decade marked by supply chain disruptions. 

It may have started with the pandemic but, in March of 2024, the Francis Scott Bridge in Baltimore sent ripple effects through U.S. and global supply chains, disrupting port traffic, and rerouting shipments — effects that continue to this day. 

And, just a year earlier, Yemen’s Houthi rebels began their first attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, which, by 2024, had become a situation that Marijn Visser, global vertical head of lifestyle at shipping and logistics company, Maersk, called “entrenched.”

For fashion brands paying attention, these events were yet more reminders: highlighting just how fragile even the most seemingly stable logistics systems can be and that physical disruptions, whether due to infrastructure failure, climate events, or geopolitical tensions, can derail operations in hours.

Yet, disruptive as these issues are, the more profound implication is stark: their presence tells us that supply chains have significant blind spots that make it impossible to respond in real time. Too many fashion companies still operate with limited visibility across their supply chains, relying on outdated data, fragmented systems, and reactive crisis management. 

This lack of real-time insight delays shipments and multiplies risks, from unsold inventory and excess emissions to reputational damage linked to labour violations that could have been caught earlier.

In this article, we’ll explore how real-time supply chain visibility empowers fashion brands to proactively manage risk, drive accountability, and build the operational resilience required for responsible, transparent growth.

Challenges When Implementing Real-Time Visibility in Fashion Supply Chains

Implementing real-time visibility in fashion supply chains is a complex endeavour. Brands must navigate several challenges to achieve transparency and efficiency.

1) Data Overload & a Lack of Standardization

Fashion suppliers often face an overwhelming number of data requests from various brands, each with different formats and requirements. And when they’re inundated with duplicative and inconsistent data demands, it can complicate management and compliance with transparency regulations. This lack of standardization leads to inefficiencies and increased workload for suppliers. 

2) Integrating Complexities Across Diverse Systems

Integrating real-time visibility tools with existing legacy systems poses significant challenges. Companies often deal with multiple platforms that use different data formats and update frequencies, leading to synchronization issues and inefficiencies. 

3) Limited Visibility Beyond Tier-1 Suppliers

A study revealed that only 19% of companies in the fashion industry have visibility over their entire value chain, often leaving them blind to potential risks in lower tiers.

It’s a telling statistic because it proves many fashion brands have visibility only up to their immediate suppliers — but they lack true insight into the practices of sub-suppliers. This limited visibility hampers the ability to ensure ethical sourcing and compliance throughout the supply chain. 

4) High Implementation Costs and Resource Constraints

Adopting real-time visibility technologies requires significant investment in infrastructure, training, and system upgrades. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may find these costs prohibitive, limiting their ability to implement such systems effectively. Additionally, the need for skilled personnel to manage and interpret real-time data adds to the resource constraints faced by these companies.

From Risk to Resilience: Managing Disruptions More Responsibly

Understanding risk is foundational to understanding why real-time supply chain visibility is now a must-have for fashion brands, especially those with ESG mandates. 

Real-time supply chain visibility refers to the ability of fashion brands to monitor and track their products and materials throughout the entire supply chain as events occur. This capability enables brands to:

• Respond swiftly to disruptions: With immediate insights into supply chain operations, brands can quickly address delays, quality defects, or compliance breaches.

• Enhance ESG compliance: Real-time data supports accurate reporting on environmental and social governance metrics, which is increasingly mandated by regulations like the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

• Improve decision-making: Access to up-to-date information allows for better forecasting, inventory management, and strategic planning.

Now, here’s the thing: The value of real-time visibility lies in its ability to convert unknown risks into manageable ones. 

When supply chains are opaque, problems are only detected after they’ve caused damage. But when supply chains are transparent (and in real-time), ESG managers can make faster, smarter, and more defensible decisions — both for regulatory compliance and long-term brand resilience.

And what risks are ESG managers facing? Let’s take a closer look.

5 Types of Risks Present in Today’s Fashion Supply Chains

Real-time visibility plays a pivotal role in promptly identifying and mitigating these risks, so if you don’t know what you’re looking at (or for), developing the solutions that lead to building resilient and responsible supply chains will be challenging.

#1: Operational Disruptions

Operational disruptions encompass unexpected events that halt or delay the production and distribution processes. These can arise from natural disasters, pandemics, infrastructure failures, or other unforeseen incidents that impact the smooth functioning of the supply chain.

In action…

In 2021, the grounding of the Ever Given container ship in the Suez Canal caused a significant blockage, halting a crucial global trade route. This incident delayed the delivery of goods worldwide, including fashion products, highlighting the vulnerability of supply chains to single points of failure.

#2: Supplier Non-Compliance

Supplier non-compliance refers to instances where suppliers fail to adhere to agreed-upon standards, regulations, or ethical practices. This can include violations of labour laws, environmental regulations, or quality standards.

In action…

In 2023, fast-fashion retailer Shein disclosed two instances of child labour within its supply chain. The company suspended orders from the implicated suppliers until they improved employee screening processes.

#3: Reputational Risk

Reputational risk arises when a company's public image is damaged due to negative publicity, often stemming from ethical lapses, poor labour practices, or environmental concerns within its supply chain.

In action…

In May 2025, sustainability consultant Abby French investigated Parke, a fashion label marketing itself as "sustainable denim." The investigation revealed that many of Parke's premium-priced items closely resembled garments available at a fraction of the cost on Alibaba, suggesting potential misrepresentation of the brand's sustainability claims.

#4: Financial Risk

Financial risk pertains to potential losses due to factors like fluctuating raw material costs, currency exchange rates, or unforeseen expenses arising from supply chain disruptions.

In action…

The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread factory closures and labour shortages, causing delays and increased costs in the fashion industry. Brands faced challenges in sourcing materials and fulfilling orders, leading to financial strain.

#5: Geopolitical and Regulatory Risk

Geopolitical and regulatory risks involve changes in political climates or regulations that can affect trade policies, tariffs, and international relations, impacting the flow of goods across borders.

In action…

In 2025, the U.S. imposed sweeping tariffs on imports from over 180 countries, including significant rates on key fashion-producing nations like China (54%) and Vietnam (46%). These tariffs disrupted global trade, increased brand costs, and created planning uncertainties.

How to Use Real-Time Visibility to Improve Fashion Supply Chain Operations

Fashion has never been a static industry — collections shift with the seasons, consumer demand changes overnight, and global events reroute production with little warning. Yet many brands still operate supply chains built for predictability, not volatility.

That’s the core problem real-time visibility aims to solve. It doesn’t just give brands a clearer picture of what’s happening — it gives them the ability to act on that information immediately. 

No more waiting weeks for supplier updates. 

No more “best guesses” about inventory.

And no more delayed reactions to bottlenecks, quality issues, or labour violations that surface too late.

This shift is already underway: 

• Footwear brands are deploying IoT-enabled tracking tags to monitor temperature-sensitive materials in transit. 

• Global luxury players are layering supplier data with satellite imaging to detect unapproved subcontracting or deforestation risks. 

• Logistics teams use live dashboards to reroute shipments in response to port congestion before delays pile up.

But the real value goes deeper than logistics. Real-time visibility is a strategic asset for fashion companies under pressure to prove ethical sourcing, minimize waste, and meet investor-grade ESG standards. It creates a shared data layer that breaks down silos between design, sourcing, compliance, and fulfillment — replacing outdated reports with live, cross-functional insights that move the business forward.

In the following sections, we’ll unpack how brands use real-time data to transform five core areas of supply chain operations — from inventory optimization to supplier communication — and what your team can do to implement these gains in your workflow.

1) Multi-Modal Tracking and Dynamic Rerouting

To mitigate the impact of logistics disruptions — port closures, warehouse shutdowns, or transport bottlenecks — fashion brands use real-time GPS and sensor-based tracking across multiple shipment modes (air, sea, and land). Platforms like project44 and FourKites enable dynamic route optimization: when a shipping lane is compromised, the system triggers an alert and suggests viable rerouting alternatives.

Example in action: In real-time, brands shipping out of Asia can see if container vessels are delayed at chokepoints (e.g., Panama Canal, Suez, or the Red Sea). Based on that, operations managers might proactively shift cargo to alternate ports or rebook on-air freight for time-sensitive goods.

2) Digital Traceability Tools and Smart Auditing

To prevent hidden labour violations or unauthorized subcontracting, brands deploy traceability software platforms that collect data across Tier 1 to Tier 4 suppliers. Platforms such as Retraced enable brands to verify who produces goods, under what conditions, and where raw materials originate.

Some systems integrate with blockchain ledgers or offer automated social compliance checklists, helping sustainability teams monitor human rights risk areas without waiting for in-person audits.

Example in action: A denim brand using Retraced could automatically flag discrepancies when a fabric supplier suddenly changes facility locations, prompting immediate investigation into potential shadow production.

3) Live Inventory Dashboards and Predictive Demand Forecasting

Retailers combat inventory overages or shortages by feeding real-time warehouse and in-store stock levels into centralized inventory management platforms. These platforms pair POS data with production timelines, giving planners instant visibility into which SKUs are under- or overperforming, and enabling on-the-fly order adjustments.

Example in action: A footwear brand forecasting higher sales for a specific sneaker model can scale production earlier based on real-time sales velocity, preventing stockouts while minimizing excess production that leads to markdowns or landfill.

4) Environmental Sensing and ESG Impact Dashboards

Brands aiming to reduce Scope 3 emissions use IoT sensors, satellite data, and supplier self-reporting portals to capture information on water use, deforestation, and GHG emissions across the chain. This data feeds into ESG dashboards that help brands model carbon footprints and identify hotspots.

Example in action: Luxury group Kering has developed EP&L (Environmental Profit and Loss) dashboards, integrating environmental risks into supplier evaluations. This allows them to flag materials or partners with excessive impacts long before ESG reporting deadlines.

5) Real-Time Scorecards and SLA Tracking

To manage reliability and consistency across supplier tiers, fashion brands implement live supplier scorecards that track SLA compliance, delivery accuracy, lead times, and defect rates. These are updated automatically as new data comes from production, logistics, and QC checkpoints.

Example in action: An apparel company might monitor garment delivery from Tier 1 factories and detect a repeated drop in quality or delayed shipments. With real-time alerts, sourcing teams can intervene early, whether that means issuing corrective actions or switching vendors.

Final Thoughts: Visibility Is the First Step Toward Accountability

Accountability in fashion starts with knowledge. You can’t reduce emissions if you can’t track them, you can’t fix delays if you can’t see them, and you can’t prove ethical sourcing without evidence from your supply chain. This is why real-time visibility isn’t just an operational upgrade—it’s the foundation for a responsible, resilient business.

Brands that invest in end-to-end visibility position themselves to make smarter, faster, and more ethical decisions. From identifying which suppliers consistently fall short to pinpointing where waste and inefficiencies creep in, visibility gives leaders the information they need to take action confidently and in real time.

In a market where transparency is becoming a compliance requirement first and a business advantage second, real-time supply chain visibility is no longer optional. It’s the difference between reacting to problems after they’ve caused damage and preventing them before they ever reach your customer. It’s the first — and most critical — step toward building a fashion supply chain that’s faster, fairer, and future-ready.