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Sustainable Relationships
Within
your business, the procurement function within your
supply chain is a key strategic area of your business
and how you do it will affect your competitive
advantage, no matter how well you conduct it!
At Blue Horse associates we consider that:
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Traditionally sourcing
has been conducted to maximize economic advantage
for the business, and
-
“Ethical” sourcing has
been conducted to maximize economic advantage whilst
minimizing the social impact, while
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“Sustainable” sourcing
takes into account all aspects of the environmental,
social and economic impacts of the business.
Blue
Horse takes a pragmatic approach to sustainable sourcing
ensuring that it is relevant to your business needs,
whether the need be a single project or working through
all the strategic questions to make the purchased supply
chain more sustainable.
We work
with you to analyze and address real, relevant, and
urgent questions in your business, such as:
-
Origin – do you know
where your products come from?
-
Information Accuracy -
is information about your products credible and
transparent?
-
Legality – are your
products being produced in compliance with all local
and international regulations?
-
Stewardship – is the
raw material source being responsible and actively
managed?
-
Biodiversity – have
sensitive ecosystems been protected?
-
Climate Change – have
climate issues been addressed, from field to pack?
-
Environmental
Protection – have appropriate environmental controls
been applied?
-
Material Makeup – can
the materials be reusable, recyclable, reduced or
removed?
-
Resource Use – have all
resources been used appropriately?
-
Local Communities –
have all their needs been responsibly addressed?
You
spend time and effort to ensure that your key
stakeholder groups – your shareholders, your
employees, and your customers – are informed and
engaged in your company. But what about your other
stakeholders? Who are they? You might already engage
them but are you in control of what information they
receive and what information they choose to share
about your company.
These sometimes traditional adversaries may include
community leaders in areas where you have your
manufacturing facilities, NGOs who are advocating
for civil or environmental protections, trade unions
who represent your employees, certification groups
who work with the raw materials you use, and others.
Today, companies are starting to recognize the
opportunities that come with engaging with these
stakeholder groups and developing solutions that
create mutual benefit to them and the company.
At
Blue Horse Associates, we have the expertise and
experience to help you engage your stakeholder
groups in a positive and collaborative way. Our
unique combination of experience with business
leadership and NGO management enables us to provide
a bridge-building service to help companies engage
with their stakeholders and develop mutually
beneficial outcomes that will enhance both parties.
We provide research to identify the right groups to
approach and those who will be most willing to talk
to you. And facilitation and mediation services to
develop long lasting and mutually beneficial
relationships. |
