In 2005 Walmart made history when then-CEO Lee Scott announced a bold sustainability strategy that would impact every aspect of its business. Along the way business researchers from the University of South Carolina and the University of Arkansas were given unprecedented access to study the process. A three-year project has culminated into a series of case studies, available online, that will be used to teach business students and executives about sustainability and business development.
For smaller items delivered to most of its business customers, the company has replaced corrugated cardboard boxes with returnable plastic totes and paper bags. The experiment has yielded big benefits in less than a year.
Working closely with Haesaerts Intermodal and Procter & Gamble, Dow Chemical Co. implemented a multifaceted plan for significantly reducing its carbon footprint caused by the movement of a crucial chemical from France to Russia.
Here are five more predictions for 2013 and beyond, from a panel of five well-informed (and well-fed) Silicon Valley business executives. (See my previous post for the first five.) Assembled in Santa Clara, Calif., by the San Francisco Roundtable of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, these individuals took part in the group's fourth annual effort to answer that age-old question: What does the future hold for supply-chain management?
Demand uncertainty is far and away still the top concern of supply chain mangers, according to a survey by LifeWork Search, an employee recruitment firm. Eighteen percent felt inventory surplus was the top concern, 12 percent voted for inventory shortage, while 8 percent believe lead times are the top holiday concern, and 3 percent chose "other".
Two industry groups have joined to fill the need for a globally harmonized approach to measure and communicate product lifecycles. The Consumer Goods Forum, a global network of more than 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers and other stakeholders, has partnered with The Sustainability Consortium, which is dedicated to developing science and integrated tools to support informed decision making for product sustainability across the consumer goods industry.
The latest news, analysis, trends and solutions for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) and their impact on supply chain management. New customer expectations for green and ethical products and practices are transforming the way companies do business — and requiring more supply chain transparency than ever before. As solutions continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies around the world are leveraging sustainability and CSR to stay ahead of the competition in their industries.
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