Local, Sustainable Supply Chains
In the last post I mentioned that we’d talk about local efforts next, and I can’t think of a better way to begin that discussion than by talking about ’supply chains’. By that phrase we mean however simple or complex the procurement process may be for goods and services that support the goals and objectives of a business - or any organization for that matter. Maybe it’s only simple office supplies and basic utillities, but it most cases we’re quickly talking about the basic sustainability ‘entry points’: transportation systems, energy systems, food systems, the built environment (infrastructure), and environmental (internal and external) considerations.
Your ‘purchasing’ department may be you and a phone book or your PDA; it may be Joe or Gladys down the the hall, a small organization, all the way up to a major supply-chain procurement operation of hundreds of people. The first 12 or 13 years of my professional life was in the federal government procurement realm, so I have great respect and a fair understanding of how important, effective and impactful these folks can be to an organization’s bottom line (and/or mission). By the way, the federal government is quickly becoming the largest green purchasing organization in the world - a good thing. A little know office in the White House, the “Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE)” leads this important cultural-shift for government, and has many great resources available on their site - especially useful if you happen to be connected to the federal/state/local government contracting community in any way.
As Joel Makower, Executive Editor of “GreenBuzz” describes in his column of August 13:
“Environmental professionals and procurement professionals haven’t traditionally mixed well. Environmental folks tend to talk in big picture generalities; procurement folks talk in cold, hard facts. Environmental folks look at things beyond money and performance; procurement folks often don’t. It’s not exactly oil and water, but then again it’s not milk and honey.
There’s hope. This week we report on a new study that more than half of companies have policies on greening their supply chain, and companies are nearly unanimous in their belief that green supply chains will only continue growing. Two-thirds of the professionals in the survey said that they are practicing green procurement to support their companies’ environmental or sustainability strategies, while half also said they’re responding to customers’ interest in greener products and services.
It’s not easy, as I said, but it can be done. Money talks loudest. If you can convince the powers that be that there’s a way to save money beyond the purchase price — and then can show them that it comes out of a specific budget — you can break through the purchasing department’s traditional reluctance to change vendors or products.
In the end, it’s the economics, stupid.”
This is Steve again - I won’t change Joel’s words, but I know you’re not stupid, either. Take advantage of the expertise in your purchasing organization, whatever that might be, and start your pathway to sustainability by integrating this important function in a leadership role on that journey.
I hope we have some examples of local organizational green purchasing practices posted in response to this chat, and look forward to learning how we’re taking advantage of the professionals in this field.