ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces supply chain mapping and evaluation as key elements to starting the implementation process towards a sustainable supply chain. While the development of strategy is an important first step towards sustainability, it is often only when firms attempt to put into practice what they have been talking about that the real challenges begin to emerge. It is important to understand the links between supply strategy, external policy, enabling tools and implementation that allows the shift towards sustainability to take root. Implementing a sustainable supply chain involves more than considerations around organizational change, requiring in-depth understanding of the types of impact the firm seeks to target as a priority. The chapter starts by discussing the background and evaluative capability of tools such as supply chain mapping. It then discusses the policies and practice which not only help firms in being more effective and resource-efficient, but actively engages them in the broader vision of sustainability. This means considering the views of external policy drivers such as the WWF and implementing practices internally which are in tune with long-term planetary concerns, such as ecological depletion and climate change. The chapter discusses how tools such as mapping can help firms achieve a deep level of understanding over processes, information and cross-organizational activities as a route towards gaining closer collaboration and integration with the supply chain. It is important to understand the differences between the variety of maps available to the supply chain investigator and their various applications in terms of detail and orientation. Yet the visualization of supply chains using maps is becoming more complicated as firms pursue outsourcing strategies and delivery systems that are typically more global than in the past. Hence we describe the rationale behind supply chain mapping, evaluating the use of tools such as life-cycle assessment and carbon footprinting. The challenges of introducing methods such as low carbon procurement are also discussed, along with an analysis of trends in sustainability policy and the implications for sustainable supply chains in future.
