SAN RAMON, CA - October 23, 2007 - Hokura LLC will introduce the TransparentCMS Compliance Management System for the retail supply chain at the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR, www.bsr.org) Conference, "Designing a Sustainable Future," Oct. 23-27, at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco.

TransparentCMS automates the process of managing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) compliance and Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) security compliance in the global retail/manufacturing supply chain. The modular system offers five key components: Vendor Compliance Agreements, Vendor/Factory Profile Management, Vendor Self-Assessment Management and Factory Compliance Audit Management.

The system allows agents, vendors and factories to register and manage their profiles, then electronically sign agreements that document accountability for CSR compliance, product quality and C-TPAT certification. Audit results are recorded to track supplier performance over time.

"Hokura automates the process of monitoring your sourcing partners' commitment to social responsibility and managing the associated assessments and audits," says Kumaran Perumal, vice president. "We make compliance transparent, so you know the people you're doing business with share your commitment to CSR."

TransparentCMS gives retailers instant visibility into supply chain compliance. The rules-based system indicates which suppliers have up-to-date, verified documentation and assigns a risk factor to those suppliers who are noncompliant. By enabling self-assessment and independent verification, the system also promotes collaboration among supply chain partners.

"We believe that unless accountability is pushed all the way down the supply chain, the benefits of compliance cannot be realized," Perumal says. "People are accountable because they are partners in the colloboration process."

TransparentCMS is delivered as a Web-based stand-alone product; or as an ondemand subscription, where compliance partners colloborate via a remotely hosted application and share the cost by paying a fixed fee for each compliance management unit of work. In both models, TransparentCMS can by customized to meet the unique business needs of each client.

About Hokura LLC

Hokura's mission is to automate the retail supply chain for transparent CSR compliance management, so companies can hold their business partners accountable for ethical human rights, labor and environmental practices. Our vision is to eliminate the check-box approach to CSR compliance and replace it with an ethics-based selfregulated approach, where suppliers comply because it’s the right thing to do. Visit Hokura at www.hokura.com

About Business for Social Responsibility

Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) is a non-profit membership organization that provides socially responsible consulting, networking and business intelligence to global corporations. The BSR Annual Conference reflects exciting examples of sustainability in practice, and also serves as a catalyst for new ideas and initiatives that will shape a more sustainable future. Visit BSR at www.bsr.org

HOKURA LLC

HOKURA LLC

Hokura’s mission is to automate the retail supply chain for transparent CSR compliance management, so companies can hold their business partners accountable for ethical human rights, labor and environmental practices. Our vision is to eliminate the check-box approach to CSR compliance and replace it with an ethics-based self-regulated approach, where suppliers comply because it’s the right thing to do. Hokura values honesty, integrity and trust.

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