Disconnect emerges on the sustainable supply chain

For any corporate project to be successful, there needs to be strong leadership pushing it forward. Without a singular vision to make decisions, any task can start spinning its wheels and fall flat.

According to a recent PwC and APICS Foundation survey, this is the biggest challenge for organizations when it comes to a sustainable supply chain. The study found that 30 percent of operation executives surveyed said their company has a documented strategy for sustainability. However, only 17 percent of managers and lower level employees agree. This points to a disconnect and obstacles to taking the needed steps to drive meaningful change.

This is important to mention because 76 percent of operations professionals said their focus on creating a more sustainable supply chain will increase over the next three years. This is already happening, as 43 percent are looking into cost savings, 35 percent are examining environmental impacts and 25 percent are looking at the customer experience.

"The major barrier to supply chain sustainability cited in the survey was that leadership does not supply the mandate, incentives, and resources to turn sustainability strategies into action," the report reads. "Additional barriers reported by supply chain professionals included inadequate sustainability education and training, significant confusion about the scope and company goals on supply chain sustainability, and the perception that the impact on shareholder value for such practices is difficult to measure."

These challenges can be overcome in several different ways. One of the simplest can be to partner with a third party logistics service provider that can help create a single vision for any company's supply chain.