What’s new for Supply Chains?
10th October 2007 by Gail Van Den Bos
There’s a great deal of information available about supply chains. And increasingly, it’s highlighting new areas. No longer limited to product safety recalls and logistical headaches, we’re now hearing more about green supply chains, ethical supply chains, carbon management in supply chains, reverse outsourcing, supply chain security and so on.
These all have something in common: risk. Poor performance at any part of the chain can lead to damage: to ability to do business, to reputation, and to share values. It’s important that purchasers make it clear in their contracts exactly what their requirements are: and that suppliers in the chain understand these and make sure that they meet them.
But where do supply chains focus their efforts? Being ethical? Being green? Being safe? Reducing the carbon footprint for the chain? It depends on what the customer (and the consumers) want. And for many, they want value which increasingly seems to mean the best product for the lowest price.
And this may affect how green or how ethical the supply chain is. So supply chains should focus on each topic of concern to the customer: don’t try to multi-task as there can be too many issues to cover. Make sure that each key item is given its due importance. If being asked to meet many and various different standards, focus on each at a time, as trying to combine requirements may mean that none are met effectively.
Gail Van Den Bos is Product Manager for customised supply chain services across LRQA,and works to ensure the technical integrity of these services worldwide.