topic . Changing suppliers ( e . g . discontinuing a supplier with a low sustainability score and selecting and onboarding a new supplier ) is expensive , and should be an exception . Long term relationships with suppliers who are committed to progressing on the journey is often a more reliable path , even if they do not have exceptional performance or scores at the beginning .
Q . WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU PREDICT IN RESPONSIBLE SOURCING IN THE NEXT 12-18 MONTHS ?
» There may be a ‘ shakeout ’ coming in the procurement sustainability tech space . There have never been more technologies and tools purporting to help procurement teams collect data – such as sustainability metrics – from suppliers . But many of these are not moving the needle on the sustainability journey toward positive impacts , similar to their predecessors ; “ DIY ” programs that companies traditionally tried to run internally using spreadsheets and email . sustainabilitymag . com 21