Sheffield Business School

I thoroughly enjoyed my meeting today with Jane, a senior lecturer at Hallam University business school. Jane specialises in supply chain management and is looking for potential company partners to help 3rd year undergraduates complete their "capstone" project. Projects designed to help students recognise the implications of decisions made in business.
Jane is particularly interested in sustainability and carbon issues associated along all or any parts of supply chain. Fascinating stuff believe it or not.
We talked and talked .... future trends and what to do now to prepare, how to engage suppliers, what initiatives work, hidden environmental costs, supply chain visibility, challenges and opportunities up and down the supply chain, branding, value led markets, root value of things and on and on. You may not believe me but it's riveting stuff with so many implications for all.

A sustainability strategy may have a number of objectives; social issues, environmental issues, economical issues etc. often these may well be in conflict. How do we manage these? Where in the supply chain do we put our influence to best effect, for example, Ikea concentrate greatly on forestry and raw materials, they actually buy finished (or rather packs of finished bits and -1 screws) products but get huge benefit from working with supply chain one step removed. They add their clever efficiencies and ensure the best sustainable forestry with the woodmen , who can then provide cheaper and "greener" material to Ikea's suppliers who will then though have to share the savings with Ikea. All have (probably) benefited.
Talking of business and new business models take a look at the new car company "Riversimple" at www.riversimple.com What a great business model. These guys have produced a lightweight electric vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells, but that's not the best thing. Best of all is how it will all work. Complete and comprehensive plans on how to build these excellent little cars will be available, free, on the www. so anyone can set up and produce them. £200 per month will lease you a car built locally using local workforce. The price includes everything even the fuel you use. What is also so clever is that it takes away the car manafacturers in-built strategy to build in obsolescence, there will never be a time you need to buy a new car, just swap it, no charge for another.