What is sustainable procurement?
Sustainable Procurement encompasses a wide range of activities, including the purchase of office cars, medical supplies, and election materials, as well as the procurement of energy systems and consulting services. All of these operations together create a strategic function that is an incredibly essential component of our business, not just because it accounts for a considerable portion of our annual expenses.
Why sustainable procurement matters?
- Risk & Reputation: A supplier relationship with a company that engages in unethical practices such as child labour or pollution can have a negative financial impact on the company and its brand value.
- Procurement Cost Reduction: Sustainable procurement partners should avoid cost increases due to ownership transfers and energy consumption charges. Procurement cost reduction enable an organization to reinvest in itself.
- Revenue Growth: Consumers who believe in sustainability may help a company’s finances as well as its brand value and loyalty. Using sustainable procurement partners may also help a company save money.
- Future Proofing: By implementing sustainable procurement practices, the company can future-proof itself against supplier shortages as well as changes in the social, economic landscape.
Advantages of a sustainable procurement process
- Gives procurement meaning and value by providing a long-term perspective on sustainable purchases that are becoming increasingly strategic in order to have a beneficial influence on the Company’s external context.
- Facilitates the transformation of Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR from a typical, straightforward risk management tool to a strategic lever for new possibilities.
- Updates and broadens knowledge of the most important areas of sustainability for a firm, its customers, and other stakeholders.
- Assists in lowering supplier qualification and monitoring programme procurement and management expenses.
- Encourages the integration of processes between departments dealing with sustainability and buying, which entails identifying and implementing cost-effective and scalable solutions.
- Promotes consistency, alignment, and collaboration in supplier relationships and with stakeholders in general.
Managing a sustainable procurement process
- Determine whether supply chain laws apply to your business:
- Consider country-specific regulations and standards, as well as any voluntary obligations.
- Recognize which sections of the business are impacted or are in charge of compliance.
- Create a code of behaviour for suppliers and evaluate them against it:
- Align this with your company’s goal as well as your personal legal obligations.
- Any supplier selection process should include supplier attestation, with live compliance statistics kept.
- Identify non-compliances and report them to relevant business departments and suppliers using assessment data Incorporate performance measures into the selection and assessment of suppliers.
