"Einfach anfangen"

Translated title: "Simply begin." A view from consulting and project work on sustainable supply chain management

Like a lot of large businesses, many small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) are involved in social responsibility matters within their own processes. More than ever, they are required and motivated to fulfill their social responsibility in the supply chain today. In order to support SMEs with their projects and facilitate their entry into the topic, adelphi and sustainable AG have developed practical guidelines for them as part of the "Sustainable Supply Chain" project of the Bavaria Environmental Pact.

A starter kit provides basic knowledge on how to evaluate the companies’ own supply chain from a sustainability perspective and how to identify major issues. A model code of conduct provides a sector-neutral foundation for companies to formulate sustainability requirements for suppliers. Guidelines on supplier evaluation address the selection of sustainability criteria and their integration into the existing supplier evaluation system. An additional list of measures provides an overview of pragmatic areas of action and measures for designing and optimising a sustainable supply chain.

In this article, the authors present approaches to sustainable supply chain management based on their consulting and project work. The practical guidelines are available on the website of the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection.