The automotive global supply chain touches nearly every other industry, including steel, plastics, textiles, electronics, and more. As scrutiny of human rights practices in other industries heated up, the automotive sector knew it could soon become a target if it did not proactively address the social impacts of its operations. In an effort to improve the working conditions of the automotive supply chain, five major auto companies sought BSR's help to create a set of working conditions guidelines and other tools. BSR was assisted by a sizeable grant from the U.S. State Department to fund this initiative.