How can you disrupt traditional supply chain risk and resilience management for sustainability?

1 Assess your impacts and dependencies

The first step to disrupt traditional supply chain risk and resilience management for sustainability is to assess your impacts and dependencies on natural, human, and social capital. This means identifying and measuring how your supply chain activities affect and rely on the environment, people, and communities that support your business. By doing so, you can uncover hidden risks and opportunities, such as resource scarcity, climate change, human rights, labor standards, and local development. You can also align your supply chain goals and strategies with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which provide a global framework for addressing the most pressing challenges of our time.

2 Collaborate with your stakeholders

The second step to disrupt traditional supply chain risk and resilience management for sustainability is to collaborate with your stakeholders , such as suppliers, customers, regulators, NGOs, and industry peers. This means engaging in dialogue, sharing information, building trust, and co-creating solutions that can benefit all parties. By doing so, you can improve your transparency, accountability, and responsiveness, as well as leverage the expertise, resources, and networks of your stakeholders. You can also join or initiate multi-stakeholder initiatives that can address common issues, such as certification schemes, standards, or platforms that can enhance the sustainability of your supply chain.

3 Innovate your processes and products

The third step to disrupt traditional supply chain risk and resilience management for sustainability is to innovate your processes and products , such as by applying circular economy principles, digital technologies, or biomimicry. This means designing and implementing solutions that can reduce your environmental footprint, increase your resource efficiency, and create positive impacts for society. By doing so, you can gain a competitive edge, differentiate your brand, and satisfy your customers' needs and preferences. You can also explore new business models, such as servitization, sharing, or leasing, that can extend the life cycle of your products and generate more value for your customers and yourself.

4 Learn and adapt continuously

The fourth step to disrupt traditional supply chain risk and resilience management for sustainability is to learn and adapt continuously, such as by collecting and analyzing data, monitoring and evaluating performance, and incorporating feedback and lessons learned. This means being agile, flexible, and proactive in responding to changing conditions, emerging trends, and new opportunities. By doing so, you can improve your decision-making, risk management, and innovation capabilities, as well as foster a culture of learning and improvement within your organization and your supply chain. You can also use scenario planning, foresight, or backcasting techniques to envision and shape your desired future state and identify the actions and milestones required to achieve it.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?