About this question

When filling in the BRM, your company has the option to use either calendar year data or fiscal year data aligned with your own reporting. This means that the data presented in the BRM may not necessarily align with the calendar year.

This information is useful for ensuring that the data presented in the BRM is consistent and accurate. Knowing the reporting period also helps to make meaningful comparisons between companies that may use different reporting periods, and/or help during the verification process.

Please note that you must however be consistent throughout the report after selecting the period for assessment.

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_a, cp_a_1, cp_a_2

About this question

This question is used to determine which assessment path your company should complete and to categorize your company for comparative analytics in the benchmarking. Your selection for this question leads to a number of additional questions specific to your company category to appear and should be done at the start of your BRM. Please, refer to the definitions below to determine which answer option to tick.

• Select Brand if you are a company that owns one or more apparel/footwear/textile brands, has brick and mortar stores and/or e-commerce websites, and may sell products from third-party brands, but these represent less than 20% of your revenues.
• Select Retailer if you are a company that primarily sells products from third-party brands through e-commerce websites and/or brick and mortar stores and may own apparel/footwear/textile private label brands, but these represent less than 20% of your revenue.
• Select Brand & Retailer if you are a company that owns apparel/footwear/textile brands and sells products from third-party brands; each of them representing separately 20% or more of your company’s revenue.

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_b

About this question

This question is used to categorize your company for comparative analytics in the benchmarking. Please, refer to the definitions below to determine which answer option to tick.

• Select Public if you are a publicly listed companies
• Select Private if your company is privately held and not publicly listed
• Select Subsidiary if your company is part of a holding company or a group

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_c

About this question

This question is used to categorize your company for comparative analytics in the benchmarking. Select the country where your company is headquartered.

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_d

About this question

This question is used to categorize your company for comparative analytics in the benchmarking. Please, select the sectors in which your company operates.

• Select one or more sectors if your company operates in the textile, apparel and/or footwear sector.
• Select other f your company operates in another sector or does not fit with any of the listed sectors.

Answer options: Textile, Apparel, Footwear, Other

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_e

About this question

This question is used to categorize your company for comparative analytics in the benchmarking.

• Select Apparel (e.g., dresses, trousers, shirts, etc.)
• Select Footwear (e.g., sneakers, boots, etc.)
• Select Home Textiles (bed linen, towels, rugs/carpets)
• Select Accessories (e.g., belts, bags, backpacks, jewelry, etc.)
• Select Home Furnishings (e.g., furniture and home decoration)
• Select Hard Goods (e.g., equipment, tents & sleeping pads, technical backpacks, skis, snowboards & bindings, ski equipment gear, climbing gear, bicycles)
• Select Electronics
• Select Toys
• Select Other (any product category that has not been listed above)

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_f

About this question

This question is used to categorize your company for comparative analytics in the benchmarking.

• Select yes if your company has any number of physical stores
• Select no if your company operates solely online, or does not have any physical stores

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_g

About this question

This question is used to categorize your company for comparative analytics in the benchmarking.

Select each of the sales regions that are applicable to the sales of your product(s).

Answer options: Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe Middle East Africa (EMEA), North America (NAMER), Latin America (LATAM)

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_h

About this question

This question is used to categorize your company for comparative analytics in the benchmarking.

All revenue should be included, including through licensees. If your revenue is not calculated in USD you may make an exchange based on the rate of the last day of the reporting period.

Answer options: Less than 5 million, 5-20 million, 20-100 million, 100-500 million,  500 million to 1 billion, 1-10 billion, Exceeding 10 billion.

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_j

About this question

This question is used to categorize your company for comparative analytics in the benchmarking. Note that only full-time employees should be included in this figure.

Answer options: Less than 10 employees, 11-50 employees, 51-200 employees, 201-500 employees, 501-1000 employees, 1001-5000 employees, 5001-10,000 employees, 10,001+ employees.

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_k

About this question

This question determines whether your company needs to respond to additional queries related to Cascale Membership Requirements.

• Answer Yes if your company is a Cascale member.

• Answer No if your company is not a member.

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_mem

About this question

Members can choose the most practical and relevant metrics for Tier 1 and Tier 2 separately.

Answer options: Free on Board (FOB) Value, Production Units, Annual Revenue.

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_l

About this question

Members can choose the most practical and relevant metrics for Tier 1 and Tier 2 separately.

Answer options: Free on Board (FOB) Value, Production Units, Annual Revenue.

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_m

About this question

The Higg FSLM is Cascale’s preferred tool for assessing social compliance, streamlining assessments, reducing audit duplication, and improving supply chain working conditions. Based on SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework (CAF)—implemented in over 60 countries—the Higg FSLM helps drive convergence and provides actionable, credible data.

We adjusted the social and labor requirements to drive industry convergence and enhance data analysis efforts, ultimately improving global supply chain conditions. Members have three options regarding the adoption of the Higg FSLM or the setting of a transitional strategy toward its adoption:

• Option 1: Adopt or Continue Using the Higg FSLM
  Members can implement the Higg FSLM, Cascale’s preferred social compliance assessment, as their primary social compliance tool, leveraging its alignment with Cascale’s goals for streamlined assessments.
• Option 2: Use an Approved Alternative Framework
  Members who are unable to adopt the Higg FSLM can use one of Cascale’s accepted alternative frameworks (e.g., SEDEX/SMETA, BSCI, Better Work, WRAP). A detailed rationale for using an alternative framework must be submitted by the end of the requirements cycle.
• Option 3: Develop a Time-Bound Transition Plan
  Members unable to implement the Higg FSLM or an alternative framework must submit a time-bound plan to phase out proprietary approaches. The plan should outline steps to transition toward the Higg FSLM or a Cascale-approved alternative framework.

The objective is to facilitate a meaningful transition towards adopting Higg FSLM/CAF by temporarily allowing selected industry frameworks. Cascale will actively promote further convergence and compatibility with the CAF.

Supported by SLCP, Cascale will annually review the list of alternative frameworks and assess them against set criteria (e.g., adoption, data coverage, data quality, willingness to converge) to further our shared goal of convergence.

To answer this question, select all applicable frameworks you are currently using.

Answer options: FSLM (Preferred), SEDEX/SMETA, Amfori/BSCI, Better Work, WRAP.

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_n

About this question

This question asks whether your company uses a proprietary audit program—developed and owned by your organization—to monitor social compliance across your supply chain. Proprietary audit programs refer to internal systems that assess suppliers against criteria and methodologies designed by your company, as opposed to recognized industry frameworks.

• Answer Yes if your company has implemented and uses a self-developed audit program to assess social and labor conditions in the supply chain.
• Answer No if your company does not use a proprietary audit program and instead relies solely on external frameworks such as Higg FSLM, BSCI, SMETA, WRAP, or Better Work.

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp.o

About this question

Higg FEM Deployment

To reflect the diversity of members’ supply chains and provide flexibility, Cascale updated the Higg FEM deployment guidance.

• Tier 1 AND Tier 2 Deployment Required: Members are still expected to deploy the Higg FEM across both Tier 1 AND Tier 2.
• Flexibility in Deployment Percentages: Deployment does not need to be equal or simultaneous across tiers. Members may vary deployment percentages at each tier as long as the overall cumulative percentage meets the minimum requirement for their targeted level.

Calculation Formula:

To check if you have met your minimum requirements per level, use this calculation:

 (Tier 1 % + Tier 2 %) ÷ 200 = Cumulative Deployment Percentage

This equation should be used for both self-assessment and verification calculations for the Higg FEM.

Example:
Member A is targeting the Progressive Level (50% self-assessment deployment).
Tier 1 deployment: 69%
Tier 2 deployment: 31%

(69 + 31) ÷ 200 = 50% >> Requirement Met!

Higg FSLM Deployment

The Higg FSLM is Cascale’s preferred tool for assessing social compliance, streamlining assessments, reducing audit duplication, and improving supply chain working conditions. Based on SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework (CAF)—implemented in over 60 countries—the Higg FSLM helps drive convergence and provides actionable, credible data.

• Flexible Deployment Requirements: Tier 1 AND/OR Tier 2 Deployment: Members can choose to deploy the Higg FSLM at either Tier 1, Tier 2, or both, depending on what works best for their supply chain operations.

Calculation Formula:

To check if you have met your minimum requirements per level, use this calculation:

 Tier 1 % + Tier 2 % = Total Deployment Percentage

Example:
Member B is targeting the Foundational Level (10% self-assessment deployment).
Tier 1 deployment: 4%
Tier 2 deployment: 6%

4% + 6% = 10% >> Requirement Met! 

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_p, cp_q, cp_r, cp_s

About this question

Effectively communicate your Higg Index performance to build trust with stakeholders and identify improvement opportunities in your value chain. Download the guidelines.

Applicability: Brand, Retailer, Brand and Retailer

Reference ID: cp_t