Motivating Factors in Sustainable Distribution

Blog by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner at Taiga Company
Nov 24, 2010 2:01 PM ET

Taiga Company blog by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner at Taiga Compa…

Driven by a wide variety of business sustainability goals and objectives, leading companies around the world are searching for value in the supply chain.  Primarily focusing on upstream opportunities, the often less addressed and sometimes forgotten side of the supply chain conversation is the sustainable improvement of outbound distribution.

Browse today’s on-line publications and the sustainable supply chain discussion are dominated by the inbound efforts of mega companies like IBM and Wal-Mart.   These companies are making huge strides in supply chain transparency and providing a framework for other companies to leverage.    •    Procurement guidelines and policies •    Internal governance structures •    Supply Management Systems •    Supplier performance metrics   Now remove yourself from these ‘prescriptive’ supply chains defined by a major customer’s expectations.  Remove the motivating factor to keep Wal-Mart or IBM as a point of revenue.  For those not in a sustainable supply chain, the drivers to implement sustainability concepts into the delivery of products may be slightly different but the risks are the same.   For a Wal-Mart supplier, actions to meet expectations mitigate the underlying business sustainability risks present in the total distribution to all customers.  The same company lacking prescribed incentives must recognized the same business sustainability risks as a motivating factor to take action.   •    Increase awareness of link between carbon and distribution. •    Increase awareness of link between product delivery and product cost. •    Increase awareness of link between sustainable distribution and product sales.   The improvement opportunity for distribution goes beyond traditional efficient, timely and cost effective delivery. Companies taking business sustainability action:click here to continue reading.  

Home to one third of the earth's trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company's vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the "oxygen for your business".

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