Supply Chain

Local and global supply chains touch the lives of billions daily. Many work directly in the supply chain, producing agricultural or manufactured goods, with many others dependent on either these farmers and workers, or the goods and services produced, for their livelihoods and futures.  Decisions made by businesses have significant impacts on labour rights, working conditions, family and community incomes, and ultimately the economic and social welfare and empowerment of those they are dependent on for their financial bottom line.

Supply chains also rely, and impact, on the environment. Whether it be eco-systems services producing agricultural goods, mining and oil extraction to provide key manufacturing inputs, carbon emissions from operations, or landfill issues with product disposal, companies cannot ignore environmental issues. Further, businesses are faced with greater scrutiny from customers and consumers, as well as regulation and reporting obligations from government.

Whether you’re a large or small business, sustainability in your supply chain matters. Whether you are seeking to manage risks to supply or reputation or create more value in your operations or brands, you will need to understand your supply chain, how people and planet are impacted and involved, and the opportunities available to achieve better outcomes. We can assist you in a variety of ways to ensure your supply chain has positive impact social and environmental impacts - protecting human rights, reducing pollution and waste, creating livelihoods opportunities, improving efficiencies and enhancing communities:

• Ethical sourcing: What you source, how and where it is produced and who sells it to you is at the core of establishing an ethical supply chain
• Standards, labels and codes: Utilising credible standards, labels and codes relevant to your supply chains can enhance outcomes, reduce costs, lower risks and provide valuable consumer information on your social and environmental performance - Net Balance can help you understand what tools will work best for your business, and assist you with meeting standards and certification requirements
• Human rights: Applying human rights tools, assessments and requirements to your supply chain will enhance and protect outcomes for those people involved in producing your products
• Supplier policies: Tendering, contracting and supplier agreement processes can embed your ethical and environmental supply chain goals in to your business practices
• Supplier auditing: Understanding the performance of your suppliers through disclosure and verification regimes is central to ensuring people in your supply chain are being treated ethically and environmental impacts are minimised
• Supplier engagement: Achieving a more socially and environmentally sound supply chain will involve overcoming the challenge of engaging with your suppliers so that they make changes to products, behaviours and systems
• Supply chain mapping: Capturing your supply chain networks and steps will enable you to identify supply chain risks and track your overall performance
• Sustainable Procurement: Net Balance applies the world’s first standard for sustainable procurement, BS 8903:  Principles and Framework for Procuring Sustainably, to assist you in minimising risks and maximising positive social and environmental impact in your company’s purchasing behaviour.
• Supply Chain Workshops: We conduct workshops for your procurement and contract management staff and your suppliers to ensure policies, procedures and other business tools are aligned with achieving better outcomes for your supply chain.