Archive for April, 2012
The Sustainable Supply Chain Questions Leadership Needs to be Asking
Posted by SCA in SCA Newsletter on April 17, 2012
Take a look at Apple, Nike, Toyota, or any other world-class company—and it will be backed by a industry-leading supply chain. These exceptional networks of planning, sourcing, manufacturing and logistics empower powerful businesses.
Moving forward, sustainability will be a defining characteristic of these supply chains. Consumers are demanding it, shareholders are beginning to take notice and resources are becoming fewer by the day. According to the authors of one Oracle white paper:
“Today, sustainability has replaced cost, value and speed as the dominant topic of discussion among purchasing and supply professionals.”
So what are the types of discussions that need to be had at the leadership-level to ensure that sustainability coincides with cost reduction, risk mitigation, corporate social responsibility and other initiatives?
Michael Koploy, ERP Analyst at Software Advice, interviewed four sustainability experts to find out how leaders can make gains to ensure the right investments are being made within the supply chain. After speaking with these four experts, Koploy synthesized five questions that corporations have to ask about their supply chains:
- How can we better measure sustainability?
- How can we instill sustainability into our suppliers?
- How can our products be designed to be more sustainable?
- How can we avoid suppliers that are socially-negligent?
- Who can we trust to lead sustainability initiatives?
You can read more of the discussion over on Michael Koploy’s website at: 5 Questions to Start the Sustainable Supply Chain Conversation.
