Sustainable sourcing and SCM

In a recent study entitled “Sustainable sourcing and SCM – Next level in procurement excellence” it is determined that sustainability now has become a steady component of corporate strategy rather than just a buzzword. More than 250 purchasing, supply chain management and logistics professionals participated in the study which was conducted by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and the Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik (BME).

“In the near future, sustainability will play a decisive role in companies’ competitiveness and acceptance,” says Roland Schwientek, Partner at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. “It will thereby also influence the traditional target dimensions of purchasing: price, cost, time, delivery punctuality and product quality.”

In the meantime, many companies are rigorously applying the principles of sustainability. They incorporate not only economic aspects into their decisions and processes, but social and ecological considerations as well. For example, by realizing sustainability in purchasing, companies pledge to take action against corruption, antitrust agreements, child and forced labor and to strictly observe human rights, environmental and health protection as well as fair labor conditions.

This connects to the recent release of ISO 26000 (Social Responsibility) and i-Procure.com will monitor the development of new techniques for following up on CSR and sustainable sourcing performance.

Read the full study: www.rolandberger.com »