Sustainability: business, life, environment

Businesses across all industries are beginning to incorporate sustainability concepts into their supply chains, internal operations and distribution networks.  According to a recent report by the GMA and Deloitte Consulting, “As companies seek better ways to achieve sustainability gains beyond packaging, many find that manufacturing and supply chain operations offer a target-rich environment”. 

Leading businesses are looking beyond basic sustainability concepts such as green purchasing and realizing the value of integrating business sustainability across the entire value chain. Many companies are now focused on high impact improvements in their manufacturing and supply chain operations.  These changes represent a major opportunity for companies to deliver improved financial performance through reduced cost and increased supply chain related value.

In a recent post, I cited some major trends impacting business sustainability.  Finding ways to address these challenges, leading businesses are transforming sustainability roadblocks into business opportunities.  In addition to the business sustainability opportunities in the supply chain, there are some quick hits across the value chain:

•    Sourcing: Partnering with like-minded supplies to deliver sustainable materials could improve product quality, decrease needed inventory, and reduce overall time to market.

•    Manufacturing: Improving the sustainability of your internal operations is probably the most impactful area for most companies.  The high-impact areas of focus include energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, and emissions control.

•    Distribution: Focusing on out bound processes can offer just as much opportunity for business sustainability improvement.  Companies are addressing packaging, outbound logistics, end product inventories, and distance/time to customer.

•    Marketing and Sales: Finding innovative ways to ways to communicate and market your company and product is placing many companies on the leading edge with consumers.

•    Usage and Disposal: Building total life cycle awareness into product design and packaging is rapidly becoming a best practice, as companies look to reduce their ecological footprints. 

Improved business sustainability equates to improved company performance.  By integrating sustainability concepts across the entire value chain, businesses create a balanced approach that aligns the sustainability values of the company with its key stakeholders.