Drivers for sustainable IT vendor and procurement management

The IT supply chain is very complex, with multiple delivery networks joined at the final assembly. Before the product reaches the end user, the material travels from mines to smelters, refineries, and subcomponent manufacturers to the final assembly before it is packed and sent for distribution. As a buyer, this poses a lot of risk in your IT supply chain to ensure that suppliers maintain high environmental and social standards connected to the sourced product. Violation of labor laws such as child labor, extensive overtime, poor and hazardous working conditions, and negative environmental impacts are a few examples that can introduce significant risk for the buying party that can impact your bottom line, reputation, and brand. Managing these risks poorly and inconsistently may significantly impact your company’s relationship with customers, employees, investors, and other key stakeholders.

As a buyer, you must...