Developing a Strategic Approach to Sustainable Procurement

Wednesday May 10, 2023

9:00AM - 10:30AM

Full Conference Schedule

Supply chain management and procurement possess immense leverage to address the climate crisis and other critical sustainability issues. Every supplier engagement and sourcing process represents an opportunity to reduce or reverse negative impacts – on climate, modern slavery, worker health and safety, water pollution and more  – and to increase the positive benefits of robust supplier relationships, community economic development, transparency, and environmental protection.

As this truth becomes more widely recognized, focus is intensifying on the role of procurement and supply chain management professionals – who are now being asked to not only target resilience, performance, and pricing KPIs, but to also support organizational sustainability and ESG goals.

A well-designed, strategic program will increase the chances that an organization’s sustainable supply chain efforts will both advance organizational goals and create beneficial impact in the world. This session will focus on best practices for developing such a program, to successfully prioritize and integrate relevant sustainability considerations into your procurement and supply chain management.

The workshop will walk participants through the basics of developing a strategic approach to sustainable procurement through interactive learning, discussion, and strategy development exercises. Participants will develop an inventory of their existing organizational activities, goals, and priorities, to ensure program alignment and synergies.

They will select and prioritize a set of key goals and associated metrics to deliver outcomes that are impactful, aligned with organizational priorities, and focused on ongoing program development. We’ll also introduce SPLC’s Strategy Cycle process, to support you in further development of diverse yet complementary strategies to meet the specific program and category goals you identify.