Sustainable Sourcing at the Speed of AI

Worldly’s new integration with fashion’s first AI sourcing assistant, Frank the bear, gives sourcing professionals access to leading sustainability data and analytics on fabrics and suppliers.

Article key points: 

• Worldly partners with Material Exchange to integrate with its AI sourcing assistant, Frank the bear, to embed verified sustainability data into sourcing workflows.
• The integration delivers Higg FEM and MSI insights alongside cost, quality, and lead time data with no extra steps required.
• Frank instantly matches sourcing queries with results of high-quality fabrics alongside Worldly’s sustainability metrics.
• Fashion brands can reduce risk, reward responsible suppliers, and accelerate ESG goals without slowing sourcing speed.
• Suppliers can showcase verified performance to stand out on environmental impact value, not just price, and win more business.

In today’s fast-paced, high-stakes sourcing environment, brands and retailers face a constant trade-off: Make decisions quickly or make them responsibly. Too often, sustainability and compliance checks happen after a supplier or material has been chosen. This can be too late to change course without adding cost or delays, meaning sourcing decisions happen at the expense of environmental impact. 

Now, a new partnership between Worldly and Material Exchange’s sourcing assistant, Frank, means this doesn’t have to be the case.

Worldly, the planet’s most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform, has partnered with Material Exchange to integrate with fashion’s first AI sourcing assistant, Frank the bear. The partnership will put verified environmental impact data right where decisions happen: in the sourcing workflow itself. With this partnership, brands, retailers, and manufacturers can make informed, responsible sourcing and materials choices in seconds—not weeks.

A partnership just in time for increasing environmental regulations

Global legislation is increasingly bringing environmental compliance to the forefront of sourcing decisions. Frank’s partnership with Worldly puts verified, granular data directly in front of sourcing professionals to inform their decisions with instant, accurate fabric and supplier data.

For companies already committed to sustainability, current methods mean it’s more difficult to balance sourcing choices with environmental impact without sacrificing speed, cost, and quality. Ultimately, the status quo tends to favor those factors while impact data is considered later. Whether a company considers environmental data early, at the expense of sourcing decision speed, or later, at the expense of making the best impact choices, the situation has never been a win-win for both sourcing and sustainability decision makers. 

By integrating Worldly’s verified Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) and Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) data directly into Frank’s AI-driven material search, brands now get sustainability insights alongside traditional sourcing metrics. No extra steps. No waiting. Just fast, confident, compliance-ready decisions.

How Frank and Worldly work together for data-driven, sustainable sourcing

Frank is the world’s first AI sourcing assistant designed specifically for the fashion industry. With natural language search, users can simply type or say what they need, for example, “Show me cotton blend options,” and Frank delivers instant results.

With the Worldly integration, those results now include:

• Verified environmental impact data for each material and supplier drawing from the Higg FEM and the Higg MSI.
• Sustainability metrics embedded in both search results and supplier profiles, so teams see data the moment they’re evaluating options—not after shortlisting.
• Material-specific impact insights within attributes, including water usage, carbon footprint, chemical management practices, and recycled content.

Frank’s AI-driven search transforms sourcing from a manual, relationship-driven process—relying on trade shows, physical swatch books, and personal networks—into a streamlined, data-rich workflow. Instead of having to chase suppliers for missing sustainability information, teams can instantly filter, compare, and select options with confidence.

Having access to this data at such an immediate speed transforms sustainable sourcing from an afterthought into a strategic advantage. It’s what Worldly and Frank call “The 3-Second Decision” because the right choice becomes instantly clear. 

Frank + Worldly benefits for brands and retailers

Before this integration, sourcing teams faced a trade-off: Make a decision quickly using incomplete data, or slow down the process to research sustainability performance. Many digital sourcing platforms offer either breadth (large supplier networks with limited material data) or depth (niche suppliers with richer attributes but limited variety), forcing brands to compromise.

The partnership between Frank and Worldly changes that equation by combining a global marketplace of materials from a wide network of suppliers with rich, verified environmental impact data from Worldly’s Higg FEM and MSI datasets.

With sustainability data embedded directly into the workflow, brands and retailers can:

• Reduce risk by avoiding non-compliant or high-impact facilities from the outset.
• Reward responsible suppliers that align with brand values and ESG commitments.
• Accelerate sustainability targets by making impact-driven choices at the start of the process.
• Simplify compliance with instant access to verified data and documentation.
• Enhance collaboration by keeping communication, file sharing, and supplier engagement in one platform—cutting down on email chains and time zone delays.

This isn’t just a faster way to source. It’s a smarter way to compete in an increasingly regulated and environmentally conscious market while also building a more resilient supply chain.

Frank + Worldly benefits for suppliers and manufacturers

For suppliers, getting in front of the right brands has historically been a challenge. Without pre-existing relationships, they’ve had to rely on trade shows, referrals, or aggressive pricing to win business—cutting into already tight margins.

Using the integration between Frank and Worldly, suppliers can now:

• Showcase verified sustainability performance (FEM scores and status) directly within their profiles, making it easy for brands to identify them as preferred partners.
• Highlight unique environmental leadership in areas such as water stewardship, emissions reduction, and chemical management.
• Differentiate on value, not just price, by demonstrating impact performance at a glance.
• Collaborate more effectively through in-platform messaging, virtual material meetings, and document sharing—eliminating the delays and disconnection of traditional sourcing methods.

By surfacing verified impact data where purchasing decisions happen, responsible suppliers gain a competitive advantage without having to slash prices or wait for brands to “discover” them.

The result: Industry-wide change

Real environmental impact across the apparel, footwear, and consumer goods industries can’t happen through singular actions at one brand, retailer, or supplier. Real change requires global partnerships, working together with shared goals—and driven by real data. 

The collaboration between Worldly and Frank moves the needle toward this level of impact by delivering three major benefits for the global supply chain:

1. Facility-level insight: measurable, verified environmental performance data directly in the sourcing workflow.
2. Faster decisions: AI-powered recommendations that account for both performance and sustainability.

More resilient supply chains: The ability to spot risks and avoid them, before sourcing decisions are made.

See what you can do with Worldly and Frank in just three seconds

Ready to see Frank with integrated data from Worldly in action for yourself? Attend the Worldly Customer Forum this September 18 in Hong Kong to be among the first to preview these new features.