Research and Markets: Greening The Supply Chain: Benchmarking Sustainability Practices And Trends.DUBLIN -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9fdd07/greening_the_suppl) has announced the addition of the "Greening The Supply Chain: Benchmarking Sustainability Practices And Trends" report to their offering. Unlike the environmental movement a generation ago, sustainability today carries a strong connotation con·no·ta·tion n. 1. The act or process of connoting. 2. a. An idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or thing: of win-win benefits, efficiency, high performance, long-term thinking and "getting it." Despite the current recession, leading corporations across all industry sectors are increasingly making sustainability an integral element of their strategy, from product development to manufacturing and the supply chain to marketing and communications. For many companies, sustainability is expanding to supply chain sustainability. A survey of 74 supply chain executives was conducted to build a quantitative picture of current sustainable supply chain practices and plans. We found that despite its growing prominence, sustainability is not a core part of most companies' strategies today. And it is not a prime driver of their supply chain agendas. Sustainability lies in the middle of the pack of supply chain priorities today, behind cost cutting. Key findings from the survey include: * Three-quarters of respondents believe that their company's environmental stance will have a material impact on customer relationships within the next three years, though just over a third of them feel the issue is material with customers today. * The quest for Verb 1. quest for - go in search of or hunt for; "pursue a hobby" quest after, go after, pursue look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the energy efficiency is more popular than any other sustainable supply chain activity this year. * Some 70 percent of respondents said they had already implemented a commitment to recyclable re·cy·cle tr.v. re·cy·cled, re·cy·cling, re·cy·cles 1. To put or pass through a cycle again, as for further treatment. 2. To start a different cycle in. 3. a. and upgradable product design. * Fewer than half of the respondents are using efficient, low-emission vehicles, are working with transportation providers that do, or are tracking the environmental impacts of transporting their products. Many companies have plans to invest here in the next one to two years. * Many companies have not yet integrated the systems that manage their environmental information with those that manage their supply chain activities, presenting a hurdle for those companies seeking to make environmental concerns a factor in supply chain design and operations. * A minority participate in third-party sustainability reporting Corporate sustainability reporting has a long history going back to environmental reporting. The first environmental reports were published in the late 1980s by companies from the chemical industry which had serious image problems. initiatives such as the Carbon Disclosure Project. But 80 percent of respondents say they will be reporting in the next 12 to 24 months. * Companies cite a lack of a defensible de·fen·si·ble adj. Capable of being defended, protected, or justified: defensible arguments. de·fen financial rationale and a challenge sorting out conflicting priorities as the biggest barriers to greater sustainability in the supply chain. * Nonetheless, a significant majority of companies believe that greening their supply chains will pay off over time, in some combination of brand enhancement, efficiency gains and cost savings. * Overall, supply chain spending plans remain fairly firm this year. A majority of the respondents to our survey said that their 2009 supply chain spending will increase versus 2008 spending levels, by an average of 11 percent. In aggregate, respondents are increasing spending by 3.8 percent. Key Topics Covered: 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 INTRODUCTION 2.1 Methodology 3 THE CURRENT STATE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN 3.1 Supply Chain Priorities 3.2 Barriers and Risks 3.3 Current Activities and Future Plans 3.4 Supply Chain Budgets 3.5 Sustainable Supply Chain Leaders Are an Elite Group 4 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 Benefits of Greening the Supply Chain 4.2 What We Learned 4.3 Principles of Sustainable Supply Chain Success 5 CASE STUDIES 5.1 Staples staples U-shaped stainless steel or vitallium units with sharp points used for surgical fixation. epiphyseal staples used to staple epiphysis to metaphysis; have metal bracing at the corners. Makes Sustainability a Core Strategy 5.2 Dow Chemical Uses LCA to Engineer a Low-Carbon Manufacturing Process 5.3 Alcatel-Lucent Looks to Sustainability for Efficiency and Cost Savings 5.4 Diebold, Incorporated Embraces Sustainability 5.5 The Coca-Cola Company Seeks to Build Value With Sustainability 6 APPENDIX I: LEADER/LAGGARD METHODOLOGY 7 APPENDIX II: DEMOGRAPHICS The attributes of people in a particular geographic area. Used for marketing purposes, population, ethnic origins, religion, spoken language, income and age range are examples of demographic data. OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9fdd07/greening_the_suppl |
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