Socially Responsible Procurement
How can you as a company make socially responsible procurement and what are the benefits? Learn more about its importance and the different ways, so you can start right away with these tips!
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The importance of socially responsible procurement
Socially responsible procurement: it enables you to make more sustainable choices. By selecting suppliers who use environmentally friendly products and processes, you contribute to reducing negative environmental impacts, such as climate change, deforestation and water pollution. Consumers and business customers are increasingly interested in these sustainable and ethical practices. Because by promoting socially responsible procurement, you can improve the reputation of the company and gain the trust of customers. Showing commitment to environmental social issues can lead to greater customer loyalty and a competitive advantage.
Socially responsible procurement also helps you better manage risks in the supply chain. By carefully selecting suppliers, you reduce the risk of reputational damage and legal disputes. Identifying weaknesses in the supply chain allows you to act proactively and prevent potential problems.
In addition, socially responsible procurement can lead to long-term cost savings. For example, by choosing energy-efficient products or reducing waste, companies can reduce their operational costs. All this offers the opportunity to create positive social impact and all in all contributes to a more sustainable, ethical and resilient business.
Different ways of socially responsible procurement
As a company, there are various ways in which you can promote socially responsible procurement. But how do you do that exactly? These tips will help you on your way.
1. Create a policy
Develop a procurement policy that establishes a commitment to socially responsible procurement. The policy should contain specific objectives and guidelines for integrating sustainability, ethics and social responsibility into your procurement processes.
2. Evaluate suppliers
Conduct a thorough assessment of potential suppliers before entering into any contracts. Assess their performance on sustainability, ethics, working conditions and other relevant criteria. Prefer suppliers that meet your socially responsible procurement goals.
3. Use certifications and standards
Look at certifications and standards that guarantee sustainability and social responsibility, such as ISO 9001:2015. An organization that has completed this certification shows that there is a sound quality organization, transparency and reliability.
4. Promote transparency
Ask suppliers for detailed information about their supply chains, such as source of materials, production processes and labor conditions. Transparency helps you better understand and manage sustainability and ethical risks.
5. Stimulate innovation
Encourage suppliers to develop sustainable and ethical solutions. Drive innovation by collaborating with suppliers to create new products and services that meet your corporate social responsibility goals.
6. Train and engage your staff
Make sure your procurement team is aware of the policy. Offer training and awareness programs to engage your employees and ensure they have the right knowledge and skills to make sustainable decisions.
7. Measure and report your progress
Develop measurable performance indicators to track progress in the field of socially responsible procurement. Regularly report on your efforts and results, both internally and externally, to ensure accountability and increase transparency.
By applying this approach, you can make a positive contribution as a company!
Socially responsible purchasing at KMA Group
Working responsibly is also a recurring theme at KMA Group. Our experienced team helps you to quickly and pragmatically move from problem definition to concrete solution. This is how we stimulate innovation together! Our expertise and tailor-made solutions for textile protection and fire safety all meet our uniform and strict quality requirements. That is why we consider our ISO 9001:2015 certification a must. An organization that has completed this ISO certification shows that there is a sound quality organization, transparency and reliability. KMA Group is constantly working on continuous improvement and the quality policy is reflected in the entire organization.