Finding the right balance between sustainability and cost savings in your supply chain requires careful consideration. Here's how to achieve this: 1) Prioritize Strategically: Identify sustainability initiatives that offer the greatest return on investment (ROI) in terms of cost savings and environmental benefits. 2) Communicate Effectively: Share your sustainability goals with suppliers and stakeholders. 3) Involve Suppliers: Collaborate with suppliers to explore sustainable options that align with your goals and budget. 4) Be Patient: Implementing sustainable practices can take time. Be patient and celebrate small wins along the way.

Durch die Analyse von Lieferkettendaten lassen sich ineffiziente Prozesse identifizieren, die sowohl Kosten als auch Umweltbelastungen und Menschenrechtsverletzungen verursachen. Beispielsweise kann der Energieverbrauch bei Lieferungen optimiert oder der Materialeinsatz reduziert werden, um Einsparungen zu erzielen.

Focus on lifecycle costs, not just upfront prices. Collaborate with suppliers to innovate, and implement energy-efficient practices in the supply chain for long-term gains. Small sustainable changes lead to big savings.💡 #Sustainability #SupplyChain #Innovation #EcoEfficiency

Focus on projects that reduce cost in the long term. Things like a switch to an electrified technology, energy efficiency, or increased share of recycled materials. A lot can be achieved with low or limited cost - you don't have to start with the most expensive projects.

1. Focus on the total life-cycle cost of products or services. For example, choosing sustainable materials that last longer or require less energy in manufacturing might have a higher upfront cost but reduce costs over time through lower maintenance or disposal expenses. 2. Engage suppliers in your sustainability goals by establishing partnerships that promote innovation. Work together to identify cost-saving solutions such as adopting shared logistics. Suppliers are often willing to collaborate on sustainable practices if they also see a financial benefit. 3. Look for energy-efficient solutions within your supply chain, such as optimizing transportation routes, reducing energy consumption in warehousing, or switching to renewables.

Transitioning from a traditional linear supply chain to a circular one can dramatically enhance both cost savings and sustainability. By focusing on product life extension, reuse, and recycling, you reduce waste and raw material consumption while cutting long-term costs. Encourage suppliers to design products with end-of-life in mind, ensuring that materials can be easily recovered and reintegrated into the supply chain. This creates a system were sustainability drives efficiency, aligning eco-consciousness with financial prudence.

A focus on the balance between cost savings and sustainability is required throughout each decision but the balance comes from the overall result. A good understanding of your supply chains current sustainable actions and their future plans can then help you focus on aligning your own goals. If your supply chain and your own goals are mis aligned then this can actually lead to cost increases not savings, when trying to bridge the gap. Along the journey cost saving may be of balance to sustainability but focus will help ensure the overall result is a balance between the two

Evaluate the cost of products and the usage lifespan. Cintas is one of the hygiene product supply companies that will try and sell you foam soap dispensers with replaceable cartridge bags. Theres no need to do anything fancy with handwashing stations. Get manual pump refillable hand soap dispensers and it will save you the waste of the replaceable bags and the batteries.

Para equilibrar metas de sustentabilidade e economia de custos na cadeia de suprimentos, eu me concentro em decisões informadas e estratégicas. Na minha experiência, procuro fornecedores que não apenas atendam às normas ISO, mas que também ofereçam produtos sustentáveis a preços competitivos. Analiso o ciclo de vida dos materiais e busco alternativas que, embora possam ter um custo inicial mais alto, tragam economias a longo prazo, como a redução de desperdícios e a eficiência hídrica, conceito que explorei no meu mestrado. Ao levar em conta tanto os custos imediatos quanto os benefícios ambientais e financeiros a longo prazo, consigo tomar decisões que favoreçam tanto a sustentabilidade quanto a viabilidade econômica.

Being a Supply Chain professional myself for the past 15+ years, I do see a significant shift in the way people perceive sustainability. But in many cases, the financial benefits prevail over the austerity. We had a case where we pushed to replace plastic bags with recycled paper alternatives, but the cost was simply not even comparable. There have to be better product designs and practices in the sustainability segment. Businesses should have sustainability as part of their core strategy. Most importantly, if marketing can use sustainability as a market differentiator, then it will be downhill from there.