2 juli 2026
Governance in the supply chain
Interview with Jan Knaak, Purchase Director in Damstahl
At Damstahl, strong supplier governance is a cornerstone of responsible business conduct. According to Purchase Director Jan Knaak, good governance in supplier relationships is built on clear rules, defined responsibilities, and a high degree of transparency - shared and upheld by both parties.
What does this mean in practice? According to Jan Knaak, it comes down to building close, transparent relationships with suppliers who can clearly demonstrate robust and reliable processes - especially when it comes to health and safety, quality management, and traceability.
For Damstahl, documentation is not a compliance formality but a prerequisite for collaboration. As Knaak puts it: “Damstahl is not willing to accept any suppliers who cannot provide full traceability from start to finish of the product. In other words, transparency is not optional; it is a fundamental condition for supplier cooperation.” Jan Knaak emphasises that this expectation helps set a clear standard across the entire value chain: materials and deliveries must be fully traceable and clearly documented.
Supplier governance revealed under pressure
“Governance is always most clearly revealed when things do not go as planned. The good relationship is not visible when things are running smoothly”, says Jan Knaak, explaining that it is during errors and disruptions that supplier maturity truly shows. Professional and structured responses to deviations, delays, or claims are key indicators of accountability:
- “Suppliers who communicate proactively when risks arise, they demonstrate reliability and ownership, while a lack of response or follow-up may lead to escalation, including rejected deliveries or other corrective actions”, Jan Knaak underlines.
As Purchase Director, Jan Knaak sees his role as both setting direction and ensuring consistency. This includes keeping a strong focus on ethics and accountability in supplier dialogues, actively applying the Supplier Code of Conduct in daily purchasing practices, and ensuring that the same standards are applied across the whole organization:
- “Internally, consistency is essential: suppliers must experience Damstahl as a company that speaks with one voice and acts predictably when agreements are not met” Jan Knaak highlights.
Damstahl’s Supplier Code of Conduct plays a central role in this work. It defines the basic rules for cooperation and sets expectations related to ethics, environmental responsibility, social conditions, and business integrity. Rather than being a static document, the Code serves as a practical reference point in meetings, supplier visits, and evaluations. It is also used as a baseline during on-site assessments, where visible practices related to environment, safety, and ethics are reviewed.
Trust built on reliable data
Trust is another key element of supplier governance:
-“Many people think a trusted partner is someone who always delivers on time, at the right quality and at the right price,” Jan Knaak says. “But for me, it is much more than that. A trusted partner communicates proactively, sticks to agreements and delivers trustworthy data.”
With increasing regulatory requirements, this has become even more important. “We are responsible for data that we are not able to create ourselves,” he explains. “That means the data coming from our suppliers must be relieable.”
Ethical sourcing and zero tolerance for corruption
Ethical business conduct, including anti-corruption, is embedded in Damstahl’s sourcing practices. All supplier decisions are based on objective criteria such as price, quality, and delivery performance, and are fully traceable within Damstahl’s systems:
- “This transparency reduces the risk of undue influence and supports a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption. Internally, Damstahl promotes a strong speak-up culture, encouraging employees always to raise concerns if they encounter unethical behaviour in supplier or customer interactions”, says Jan Knaak.
Strengthening supplier governance
Looking ahead, Damstahl aims to further strengthen supplier governance by enhancing data systems, improving traceability, and developing a more detailed supplier segmentation model. This will allow suppliers to be evaluated not only on commercial performance, but also on governance, sustainability, and reliability. Clear consequences for non-compliance will be defined, while collaboration with high-performing suppliers will be strengthened.
- “Over time, this approach will support more informed decision-making - also when it means prioritising reliability and transparency over price”, Jan Knaak concludes.
Jan Knaak
COO / Purchase Director Central Europe
WINNER OF THE E-COMMERCE AWARD 2026
