Vous vous efforcez d’instaurer la durabilité dans votre chaîne d’approvisionnement. Comment vous assurez-vous que les objectifs s’alignent sur les actions ?

When you're pushing for sustainability in your supply chain, it's all about making sure your actions match your intentions. Start by clearly defining your sustainability goals—know exactly what you're aiming for. Then, assess the impact of your current practices to see where changes are needed. Engage your suppliers and partners by communicating your goals and working together on solutions. Implement the necessary changes, but don’t stop there—keep a close eye on progress to ensure you're on track. Lastly, foster transparency by being open about your challenges and successes. It’s a team effort that pays off in the long run.

I know that alignment between goals and actions starts with crystal-clear objectives. I define SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound—that focus on reducing environmental impact and improving social conditions. Whether it's cutting carbon emissions or ensuring fair labor practices, these well-defined targets guide my decisions and allow me to track progress effectively.

Partner with Like-Minded Suppliers Achieving sustainability in your supply chain starts with choosing the right partners. Collaborate with suppliers who share your commitment to sustainability and are willing to meet rigorous environmental and ethical standards. Strong partnerships can drive collective progress towards a greener supply chain. How are you ensuring your suppliers align with your sustainability goals?

To ensure that sustainability goals align with actions in your supply chain, start by setting clear, measurable targets that are integrated into every stage of the supply chain process. Develop detailed action plans that specify responsibilities, timelines, and resources needed to achieve these goals. Regularly audit and monitor suppliers' practices to ensure compliance and identify areas for improvement. Foster strong partnerships with suppliers, encouraging transparency and collaboration to address challenges and share best practices. Continuously review and adjust strategies based on performance data, ensuring that actions remain aligned with the overarching sustainability objectives.

When defining goals, save yourself so much time by aligning with a pre-existing certification 'journey.' it will save you so much time quantifying what's what. Suppliers will also recognise these and potentially change their practice to align with them.

When I worked remotely with a solar power generation company, assessing the impact of sustainability initiatives was a key part of my role. I led a project installing new solar panels in a remote area and measured the reduction in carbon emissions by comparing energy output to traditional power sources. I, with my team, also monitored the panels' efficiency over time to ensure consistent environmental benefits. Regular impact assessments not only validated our efforts but also provided insights to refine our strategies and optimize performance. Seeing these improvements firsthand was rewarding, as they demonstrated the tangible difference our projects made in advancing sustainability.

Clarify methodology, definitions and assumptions: When assessing impact, it is important to be very clear on the methodology being used, precise definition of each parameter (both inputs and outputs) and assumptions, if any. Often lack of clarity or misalignment in definitions can lead to assessments either being inaccurate or completely abandoned. For example, understanding the difference between “carbon-neutral” and “net-zero” or distinguishing between different waste categorization criteria is key to maintaining consistency across all stages of analysis.

To assess the impact of sustainable supply chains, companies should focus on several key practices: Define Objectives: Clarify specific sustainability issues to address, such as carbon emissions and ethical sourcing. Utilize Frameworks: Employ methods like Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) to evaluate environmental and social impacts comprehensively. Engage Stakeholders: Collaborate with suppliers and partners to share data and best practices, enhancing overall sustainability efforts. Continuous Improvement: Regularly monitor and adjust strategies based on assessment outcomes and stakeholder feedback.

It might seem simple, but have one person in charge of the numbers from start to end and have them checked by others. It's easy when passing around numbers for some to go missing, added on or misinterpreted. Leading to double counting or wrong conclusions.

Realize uma avaliação inicial para identificar áreas de impacto ambiental e social, garantindo que as metas sejam realistas e relevantes.

To engage partners effectively in your sustainability efforts, start by clearly articulating the benefits of collaboration and how it aligns with shared goals. Foster open and transparent communication to build trust and ensure mutual understanding of sustainability objectives. Involve partners early in the planning process to gather their insights and integrate their expertise. Set joint targets and milestones to create a sense of shared responsibility and accountability. Provide regular updates on progress and celebrate successes together to reinforce commitment and encourage ongoing collaboration. By aligning goals and working closely with partners, you can enhance impact of your sustainability initiatives and drive collective progress.

Conduct a Materiality Assessment: Identify key sustainability issues relevant to your operations, considering stakeholder concerns and regulatory requirements. Map Your Supply Chain: Understand the flow of materials and processes to identify areas with the most significant environmental and social impacts. Set Specific Goals: Establish clear, measurable sustainability objectives aligned with your business strategy and engage suppliers in achieving these goals. Gather Data: Identify and collect relevant data to track progress and inform decision-making on sustainability initiatives. Engage Stakeholders: Collaborate with suppliers and stakeholders to enhance transparency and drive collective sustainability efforts

When engaging partners, let them know your goals, red lines that can be crossed and aspirations. It's a good idea to indicate you will be willing to pay more if they did it your way. That will help the relationship and save a lot of stress (and potential un-truths) form coming back form suppliers and logistics companies.

Interactuar y ser proactivo en la explicación me parece correcto, pero implementar un portal de homologación de proveedores donde se implementen los puntos de recogida de información relevante me parece casi una obligación. Hasta el momento hemos convivido con portales de proveedores donde las exigencias estaban basadas en lo contractual y legal, pero debemos avanzar y abril el portal de homologación de proveedores a la sostenibilidad. "¿Quieres trabajar conmigo? Vale, pero tienes que cumplir unos mínimos en el ámbito de la sostenibilidad corporativa, y además, me lo vas a tener que demostrar".

Para garantir que as ações estejam alinhadas com as metas, realizar auditorias regulares e avaliações de desempenho dos fornecedores é essencial. Isso ajuda a identificar gaps e implementar melhorias contínuas.

Implementing sustainability changes in supply chains involves integrating ethical and environmentally responsible practices throughout the supply chain lifecycle. Key strategies include: Collaboration: Engage suppliers at all tiers to align on sustainability goals and share best practices. Technology Utilization: Leverage AI, blockchain, and IoT for enhanced visibility, traceability, and data management. Training and Awareness: Educate employees and suppliers on sustainability practices to foster a culture of responsibility. Benchmarking and Standards: Establish clear sustainability metrics and compliance guidelines across the supply chain.

To effectively implement changes that align with your sustainability goals in the supply chain, communicate the rationale clearly to all stakeholders, set actionable milestones with deadlines, and leverage technology to monitor and report progress. Provide training and support to ensure smooth adaptation, and regularly measure and evaluate the impact of changes using KPIs. Gather feedback from stakeholders to refine the process and celebrate successes to maintain motivation and reinforce commitment to your sustainability objectives. This approach ensures that your actions remain aligned with your sustainability goals and drive meaningful progress.

Execute planos de ação concretos para alcançar as metas, priorizando práticas sustentáveis em processos, materiais e logística.

Manter uma comunicação transparente ao longo de toda a cadeia de suprimentos é fundamental. Isso garante que todos os envolvidos entendam as metas de sustentabilidade e estejam cientes do papel que desempenham para alcançá-las.

When having B2B clients, you want to align your practices with their processes. Working with a sustainable packaging company, you need prototypes for their clients to show them how their packages will come by dimensions. To align these prototypes with the core beliefs of sustainability within that corporation, you can source materials that are biodegradable or create your own process that can be implemented into that company that will help drive sustainable efforts. You can incorporate a specific design so that there is less material and saves them and yourself on cost per product.

To ensure that your sustainability goals in the supply chain align with your actions, it’s crucial to implement robust monitoring and reporting systems. Start by setting clear, measurable targets and key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect your sustainability objectives. Utilize supply chain management software or tools, like SAP Ariba or EcoVadis, to track and analyze data related to your sustainability metrics. Regularly review progress against your targets and adjust strategies as needed to address any discrepancies. Additionally, establish a feedback loop with suppliers to ensure they understand and meet your sustainability expectations.

Utilize indicadores chave de desempenho (KPIs) para rastrear o progresso regularmente, ajustando as ações conforme necessário.

Monitoring progress in sustainability is crucial for ensuring long-term success. At MCI, we track the client company’s efforts by: - Conducting regular supplier audits - Using metrics to measure water and energy savings - Holding quarterly reviews to assess and adjust sustainability practices - Collaborating with suppliers for continuous improvement.

Oferecer treinamento e recursos para os fornecedores pode ajudá-los a adotar práticas sustentáveis de maneira eficaz. Quando as metas são alinhadas com suporte prático, a chance de sucesso aumenta significativamente.

I set key performance indicators (KPIs) related to my objectives—like tracking energy use, waste reduction, and sustainable material sourcing. Regularly reviewing these metrics allows me to adjust strategies as needed, ensuring we stay on track and make meaningful progress toward our sustainability targets.

Implementing sustainability changes in supply chains requires fostering transparency through several key strategies: Traceability Systems: These systems track raw material origins and production processes, ensuring compliance with sustainability standards. Supplier Engagement: Building strong relationships with suppliers encourages adherence to sustainable practices and ethical labor standards. Resource Efficiency: Optimizing resource use and minimizing waste can lead to cost savings and reduced environmental impact. Collaboration: Partnerships across sectors enhance efforts towards sustainability and transparency, driving collective progress. These approaches create accountability and trust, essential for sustainable supply chain.

It's not about winning, we live in a competitive market but sustainability is a good to the world. A shot term 'win' don't not make up for systemic issues. Be honest and not only will it help you improve, it will likely make people see you as the adult in your industry. As your competitor's short-term wins will likely be thinly vailed.

Compartilhe os avanços com todas as partes interessadas, demonstrando compromisso com a sustentabilidade e reforçando a responsabilidade.

Be open and honest about your sustainability journey, including both successes and challenges. Share progress with stakeholders and keep communication channels wide open. Transparency builds trust and ensures everyone remains accountable. When everyone knows what’s happening and why, it strengthens the collective commitment to sustainability.

Companies seem to shy away from transparency in sustainability reporting for fear of consumer backlash, but it take courage to acknowledge shortcomings and actively work on overcoming them. Greater transparency in raw material sourcing and supply, carbon and water impact, as well as manufacturing and labour engagements provides sustainability experts with the data actually required to develop solutions that can be truly impactful. Customers are more likely to respect and support a business that does not obfuscate their sustainability metrics if they can see a genuine commitment through year on year improvements. It is far more dangerous to get caught out in the news on social media - that's when the greenwashing allegations hold true.