New Forum Research Constium to Explore Supply chain Social and Environmental Responsibilty
The Forum is actively soliciting interested companies to join a new research consortium, the Stanford Initiative for the Study of Supply Chain Responsibility. The initiative will develop the first-ever maturity model for socially and environmentally responsible (SER) supply chain practices and explore the relationship between global supply chain SER and traditional business performance measures. Our initial activities are being generously funded by gifts from Microsoft and the Center for Responsible Enterprise and Trade (CREATe). We are seeking additional consortium members with an interest in advancing the state of the art in global supply chain SER. Learn more about the consortium
Quantifying and Managing Supply Chain Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Supply Chain Leaders today face a rapidly evolving and often bewildering array of competing standards, approaches and regulations. They require practical approaches to quantifying greenhouse gas emissions, both for voluntary disclosure and management as well as and to meet emerging reporting requirements and regulations. The purpose of this article is to briefly summarize emerging best practices for quantifying and managing the greenhouse gas emissions of supply chain activities, and the processes, organizations and stakeholders driving them forward. Steps for practical implementation and a case example are provided to demonstrate the approaches in action. Please find the full article here.
The Ghana Shea Value Chain Reinforcement Initiative
In 2009, software giant SAP funded an initiative that aims to reinforce the shea nut and butter value chain in Ghana. The program, which also involves microfinance organizations PlaNet Finance, Grameen Ghana and Maata-N-Tudu, uses microfinance, education, and information technology to improve the conditions of shea women. Since enrolling in the program, women have seen significant improvements in income. This case studyexamines program progress to date and makes recommendations for program improvements using a value chain development framework
Don't Tweak Your Supply Chain-Rethink it End to End
With the best of intentions, companies experiment with isolated efforts to improve sustainability—only to encounter a long string of unanticipated consequences, often in the form of financial, social, or environmental costs. That's partly because most firms respond in a piecemeal way to pressure from customers, shareholders, boards, employees, governments, and NGOs. In this groundbreaking research published in Harvard Business Review, Professor Hau Lee shows that it's much more effective to take a holistic approach to sustainability and make broader structural changes. The article examines the specific strategy adopted by Hong Kong–based Esquel, one of the world’s leading producers of premium cotton shirts, in reinventing its supply chain and manufacturing processes to tackle the challenges of scale. Please find the full article here.
Innovative Logistics in Extreme Conditions Lessons from Gambia
Managing logistics in developing countries presents real challenges - from poor roads and unreliable vehicles to less than ideal warehousing options. When public health is at stake, the logistics issues are even more worrisome. Stanford's Professor Hau Lee, Sonali Rammohan, and Lesley Sept examine how social enterprise organization Riders for Health has transformed the delivery of health products and servies in rural areas. read the article courtesy of Supply Chain Management Review
(www.scmr.com)
Transforming Delivery of Essential Medicines
Lessons from the Riders for Health Program in Gambia
Fueling Growth
Riders for Health had won international acclaim for its novel approach to maintaining health transport vehicles in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet the organization was having trouble scaling its services at its first site: Gambia. Here is how the organization won both government support and private funding for its latest innovation. Please find the full article here.
other resources
- Podcasts from the 2009 SER Supply Chains Conference
- Podcasts from the 2008 SER Supply Chains Conference
upcoming conferences