One of the core tenets of sustainable supply chain management is that it is a continuous and iterative process. With the pressure for corporate social responsibility and the environment on the rise, companies are understanding the importance of sustainability in supply chain.
They are increasingly looking to improve their practices. So, every involved individual must work together to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their practices before implementation and on an ongoing basis. This can be a complex process but there are plenty of steps you can take to move your company in the right direction.
Identification of Problems
The first thing that you have to do is study your entire supply chain. Only after that, you can find out the problems affecting it. Sometimes, it can be easy but most of the time, it’s hard to know unless the supply chain managers aren’t attentive. For instance, the factory may be producing harmful chemicals or creating wastage of resources. You have to figure out such issues within your company to grow it sustainably.
Encourage Suppliers
Don’t keep the goal of sustainability to your company only. Try to encourage the suppliers too. You can control their operations but it’s possible to create a governance policy. This will help in making everyone accountable for the practices being followed.
A routine audit can also help to follow the best practices at every stage of the supply chain. All these are necessary because a company can’t do it alone. It needs the collaboration of all involved in the supply chain.
If possible, you can also reward the employees, suppliers, haulage companies, or other third parties for following sustainable practices. The best you can do is – educate, implement, and reward them.
Set Policies
When resources are available in abundance, your workforce may not understand their real value. That’s why you should set policies and procedures to keep your workforce stuck to the goals. An employee that has a brief idea of the business process and prepares it well.
Enhancing Visibility
Nowadays, emerging technology has made supply chain management more powerful and simple. Thus, your organization should use one such technology to provide real-time visibility. As a result, the supply chain will perform to its optimal level by keeping the business operations sustainable and efficient.
Work on Performance
You can only improve the performance by tracking it first. Do it through auditing and then your organization can unleash the practices followed, challenges, and opportunities available. After the audit completes, be ready to prepare the action plans.
Make sure to clear the results and the expectations to the suppliers. Maintaining this transparency will bring the best to your company.
If you are having a problem tracking performance manually, consider using robust software. It’s obvious that the process is time making but with supply chain software, the same can be done quickly. It will allow you to measure all the KPIs in a centralized system.
Conclusion
The path to sustainable supply chain data management is not simple. It requires dedication, diligence, and an open mind. Having a corporate culture that values sustainability will allow you to make the most of your resources and minimize waste along the way. Incorporating the right technology also matters so, it would be best if your organization uses a GEP supply chain management solution.
