Attempts at accurately tracing a product along its supply chain present organisations in the textile and clothing industry with several challenges. Typically, organisations operate with limited visibility of their supply chains - especially as most supply chains in the textile industry are highly complex and comprise large numbers of suppliers.

The challenges are compounded by increasing pressure on organisations to substantiate claims made about their supply chains and improve their sustainability credentials. Traceability technologies, however, represent a solution to combating these challenges. In particular, they enable organisations to collect information on a product's supply chain and verify the origin of a material used in a product.

Key innovators in the field of traceability technologies include FibreTrace, Oritain and Smartex, and all three provide organisations in the textile and clothing industry with opportunities to be more transparent and accountable.