Sustainability: business, life, environment

While traditional Supply Chain Management (SCM) over the past few decades has primarily been an exercise in cost reduction, the recent emergence of Green SCM provides the opportunity to review processes, materials, and operational concepts from a different perspective.  It incorporates the role of the environment in supply chain value creation and places successful implementations a step ahead of the competition. 

Leading supply chain companies are integrating sustainability concepts into their purchasing processes to make significant individual contributions.  According to the Harvard Business Publishing, Wal-Mart has just changed the game with respect to environmental issues.

“Wal-Mart's unilateral decision to put its purchasing and communication power behind going green also shows that a single company using its unique clout can accelerate public action to reduce greenhouse gases and reverse climate change” Harvard Business Publishing.

By adding general eco awareness or simply incorporating a few sustainability concepts into and existing supply chain process, companies are proactively addressing pending legislation and capitalizing on the unique value opportunity in Green SCM.  In a recent post, Top 10 Reasons to Green Your Supply Chain, we discuss some of the value opportunities driving companies to implement sustainable business strategies into their procurement activities.

Whether incorporating sustainability concepts into everyday living or creating a sustainability plan for a business, the ability to effectively engage the outside world (supply chain) in the process is critical to success.  At Taiga Company, our professional consulting works with clients to build a long term business sustainability plan that identifies these critical relationships.  We stress the value in taking proactive steps to engage key stakeholders in the process.  Through collaborative stakeholder engagement  in the supply chain, companies can create business sustainability alignment and ensure the most effective results.