Strategic Sourcing and the Department of Defense

from defense.gov

As the largest purchasing organization in the world, Department of Defense (DoD) senior leadership has determined the acquisition function is strategic in nature and vital to the success of the Department’s efforts to provide reliable, responsive and cost-effective support to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines worldwide. Strategic Sourcing is a critical path to this success.

Strategic Sourcing has been defined as the collaborative and structured process of analyzing an organization’s spend and using the information to make business decisions about acquisition commodities and services more effectively and efficiently.   Through strategic sourcing, we will fundamentally change the way the Department of Defense does business.  Through the data we will generate, there will be more transparency and accountability of the way we do business.  Our processes will have greater visibility.  We will develop organizational efficiencies, building a solid foundation to support strategic sourcing into the future.

You Are Only As Green As Your Supply Chain

from insnet.org

Years ago Herman Miller decided to become an advocate for the environment, both because we believed it was the right thing to do and because we saw the potential for a clear business benefit. Ever since, we’ve been refining our processes to put our aspirations into practice.

Our Perfect Vision campaign, launched in 2003, includes green goals such as no landfill waste, no hazardous waste, no air or water emissions from manufacturing, and the use of 100% green energy, all by the year 2020. These are stringent targets our company cannot reach without engaging over 200 materials and components suppliers in the ongoing task of greening our global supply chain.

The Next Focus Of Supply Chain Management

from retailsolutionsonline.com

The move toward leaner and greener supply chains have companies focused on further reducing waste and lowering excess inventory and creating more eco-friendly operations. This is escalated by the number of green-conscious consumers, as recently reported by Forrester Research indicating that 12 percent of U.S. adults - nearly 25 million people - are willing to pay extra for consumer electronics that save energy or come from a company that is environmentally responsible. As companies examine ways to streamline operations, tools that can help lower excess inventory, determine the optimal “right-shoring” plan and reduce fuel and logistics costs while lowering overall carbon emissions are in high demand.