Source 44, a leading provider of sustainability data services and solutions, has released the next generation of its unique program designed to simplify detecting conflict minerals across a supply chain, providing retailers and manufacturers a cost-effective solution to meet the requirements set forth in America’s Dodd-Frank Consumer Protection Act. This announcement comes ahead of the imminent ruling expected by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the scope of Section 1502 and the nature of the relevant reporting requirements. “While companies await the SEC’s final rule, one thing is clear: companies will have to engage in some level of due diligence,” said Dr. Jennifer L. Kraus, Source 44 Chief Scientific Officer. “No longer will knowledge of Tier 1 suppliers be enough; instead, transparency will have to carry farther up the supply chain.”The process of detecting the presence of conflict minerals is complex: given the vast network of suppliers and distributors, supply chains can become an intricate web that grows harder to manage the more complex a product is.

Source 44 says its Conflict Mineral Program “is the most scalable and affordable solution available today. Instead of creating complicated spreadsheets, SourceLink Technology automates the tracing process. Source 44’s data management platform, Source Intelligence^TM, processes the information to assess the risk that conflict minerals are present and highlight companies and regions of concern. Product disclosure reports provide an effective way to understand potential risk, ultimately enabling companies to meet conflict minerals requirements efficiently and within budget.”

“Source 44 has done the work to make conflict minerals due diligence efficient, scalable and affordable,” said Jess Kraus, Source 44 President and CEO. “We are the only company that provides a comprehensive certificate of assurance guaranteeing compliance for retailers and manufacturers.”