Abstract
Judging from today’s market trends, it goes without say that customers have grown to be very cautious about which product they purchase. With the rise in technology use, it also goes without say that consumer are now able to fully scrutinize the operations of the companies that they purchase products from. With this in mind, companies have been compelled to come up with better processes that not only would reduce their production costs but also increase their ability to compete in the market. The introduction of a green supply chain has been noted to be one of the most effective ways of reducing waste in the production process hence saving the environment. On the other hand, it has been noted that it is not an easy taste to implement it in a given organization. There are driving forces, both internal and external that has to be dealt with to ensure that a greener production process is implemented.
Background
With increased demand for more consumer goods, more and more companies have come up. One of the reasons why researching more on green supply chain management is very important is the fact that the operations of these companies have been known to adversely affect the environment as a whole. In order to reduce the footprint that these companies make, researchers had to come up with a way of ensuring that the companies’ operations are restructure to accommodate the much needed environmental protection hence green supply chain management(Ali Diabat 2011).
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With this in mind, companies are now able to produce the same or even more product but with a significant reduction in the number of waste material produced during the production process A green supply chain system is aimed at enabling a firm to increase their profit margins by reducing factors like waste during production, storage or even transportation process.
Current situation
It goes without say that demand for goods is still on the rise. The other reality is that not all companies have found it easy to implement the green supply chain management system. It is noted that there are both internal and external drivers that have to be analyzed before implementation (Gluch, 2013).
From an internal perspective, we have to consider the organizations culture and structure (Günther Seliger, 2011). The cultural practices are known to affect elements like the willingness within the organization to engage in activities involving collaborating with suppliers. An improved relationship with suppliers has been known to reduce the risks involved in the supply process while also controlling the environmental impact that the process could have. In order to achieve a green process, an organization can engage itself in greener purchasing practices (Kersten, 2011). Examples of this include elimination of paper use in the whole process. An organization can use environmentally friendly packaging material and even further reduce its use of toxic material.
Some of the external drivers that can affect the implementation of a green supply chain system include; the consumers, investor and organizations that are not connected to the government. An organization can collaborate with the customer in several ways to ensure that their goals of reducing waste and cost of production is achieved. The organization can collaborate with customers to come up with greener purchasing and delivery processes (Ali Diabat 2011). Such initiatives can go a long way into sustaining the environment that operate in. customers can also work in collaboration with manufacturers to ensure that specifications are altered to fit into the green supply chain system (Qinghua Zhu, 1980). Alteration in this process can even mean using bulk packaging specifications hence avoiding wastage.
Final take
It is time that we all opened our eyes and recognizes the fact that industries play a big role in negatively affecting our environment in general. As much as we enjoy using the final products, we should be the generation that will be known for its effort towards changing this counterproductive process (Gluch, 2013). Some of the reasons why the implementation of the green supply chain management system is of great importance is the fact that the whole idea works toward conserving our environment. Environmental protection ensures that we give a chance to the future generations. A reduction in the wastage that we produce in our industries is a sure way of ensuring that we don’t misuse the resources that we have been given by mother mature.
- Ali Diabat, K. G. (2011, April). An Analysis of the Drivers Affecting the Implementation of Green Supply Chain Management. Retrieved from Science Direct: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344910002466
- Gluch P, G. M. (2013, September 2-4). Corporate Environmental Strategies and Performance: A Longitudinal Study. Retrieved from ARCOM: http://www.arcom.ac.uk/-docs/proceedings/ar2013-1197-1207_Gluch_Gustafsson_Thuvander_Baumann.pdf
- Günther Seliger, I. S. (2011). Advances in Sustainable Manufacturing: Proceedings of the 8Th Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing. New Mexico: Springer.
- Gupta, S. M. (2013). Reverse Supply Chains: Issues and Analysis. Florida: CRC Press.
- Kersten, W. (2011). International Supply Chain Management and Collaboration Practices. Berlin: BoD – Books on Demand.
- Paulina Golinska, C. A. (2012). Environmental Issues in Supply Chain Management: New Trends and Applications. New Mexico: Springer.
- Shah, J. (2009). Supply Chain Management: Text and Cases. New Jersey: Pearson Education India.
- Stuart Emmett, V. S. (2010). Green Supply Chains: An Action Manifesto. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
- Thorsten Blecker, C. J. (2011). Maritime Logistics in the Global Economy: Current Trends and Approaches. Germany: BoD – Books on Demand.
- Qinghua Zhu, J. S. (1980). Green Supply Chain Management in China: Pressures, Practices, and Performance. Retrieved from International Journal of Operations & Production Management: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1500280&show=abstract%20and
