5-step guide: Sustainability in industrial medium-sized procurement

Today, sustainability is a key issue for companies of all sizes. Medium-sized companies are also increasingly turning to sustainable purchasing strategies in order to reduce their environmental footprint and meet the requirements of customers and regulatory authorities. However, limited resources and opportunities to influence the supply chain are often a challenge for industrial SMEs. The following 5-step guide helps SMEs to make their purchasing more sustainable and benefit from more environmentally friendly and socially responsible practices in the long term.

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1. develop a basic understanding of sustainability in purchasing

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Sustainability begins with a clear understanding of one's own opportunities and challenges. This includes:

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• Information on current standards and regulatory requirements for environmental management (e.g. REACH, RoHS, ISO 14001) and industry-specific certificates
• An examination of the concept of the circular economy and the possibility of extending the service life of products or reducing the consumption of raw materials.

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This knowledge acquisition helps companies to make informed decisions and develop a sustainable procurement strategy in the long term.

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2. set sustainability targets and create an action plan

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Sustainability in procurement requires clear goals. These should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). Examples of sustainable goals in purchasing could be

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• Reducing CO2 emissions by giving preference to regional suppliers.
• Increasing the proportion of recycled materials or the use of environmentally friendly packaging.

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A well-structured action plan helps to implement these goals step by step and adjust them if necessary.

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3. selection of sustainable suppliers and consideration of standards

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When selecting suppliers, not only costs, but also social and environmental aspects should be taken into account. Tacto provides support here by automatically obtaining data on the REACH regulation and other relevant standards from suppliers and creating a data-driven overview. The most important considerations when selecting sustainable suppliers include

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• Compliance with certificates: Make sure that your suppliers have certificates such as the "Blue Angel" or the "REACH" certificate.
• Evaluate suppliers with regard to ecological and social standards: Give preference to suppliers who guarantee fair working conditions and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.

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4. conduct regular reviews and audits

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Regular reviews and audits are necessary to ensure that suppliers meet sustainability requirements. A digital solution such as Tacto can help to centrally manage all documents and automatically request updates. Use the platform to:

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• Documentation of supplier data and evaluations.
• Recording and tracking of compliance with standards by suppliers.

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This systematic control strengthens trust in the supply chain and increases transparency.

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5. communication and promotion of sustainable commitment

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Sustainable purchasing is not only a competitive advantage, but also an opportunity to positively shape the company's image. Communicate your successes both internally and externally. This can include:

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• Internal training: Sensitize your employees to the topic of sustainability.
• External communication: Publish sustainability reports or present on the website which sustainable measures have been implemented in purchasing.

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This communication not only strengthens the trust of customers and partners, but also motivates further improvements internally.

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If you would like to find out more about how you can specifically implement sustainability in purchasing, download our white paper "5-step guide to more sustainability in industrial SME purchasing".

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This guide offers SMEs practical measures for sustainable transformation in procurement and is specially tailored to the challenges and needs of SMEs.

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