Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities Summary of a Workshop (2012) / Chapter Skim
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4 Tools and Technology for Sustainable Purchasing
4 Tools and Technology for Sustainable Purchasing
Pages 21-28
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From page 21... ...
said that NIH's success in implementing sustainable procurement will depend on the availability of clear, complete criteria and on data that enable suppliers to access sustainable procurement criteria and distinguish compliant products from others. Success will also depend on purchasers selecting the most sustainable and competitive products in efficiently placed procurement transactions, and on procurement managers collecting and consolidating the acquisition data needed to assess how well the requirements have been implemented.
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From page 22... ...
.3 All three programs are voluntary, Mr. O'Brien commented, and have successfully become de facto standards for universities -- a result he attributed to the time invested in engaging stakeholders as the programs were developed.
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From page 23... ...
Right now, he noted, one might have to go to supplier Web sites, a certification Web site, internal spreadsheets or an internal Web site, a manufacturer's Web site, and of course, one's own procurement systems to gather the necessary information for a single sustainable purchase. Integration is needed so that new tools can share data and information in an accessible and usable fashion, Mr.
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From page 24... ...
Well-designed dashboards are another way to represent and foster integration, Mr. O'Brien added, presenting an energy dashboard that incorporates energy purchasing decisions into a graphical display.
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From page 25... ...
It has since expanded to the whole supply chain of that company, and now to entire networks of companies and organizations and their respective supply chains. Josh Saunders from Greencurement noted that all stages of the procurement process -- defining purchasing requirements, contract RFP writing, deciding what to buy, contract administration, compliance, reporting, and measurement -- are ripe for tool development.
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From page 26... ...
It could also allow for an increase in the scale and scope of accessible information and allow for better comparisons, helping purchasers gain more clarity. To move this forward, she stated, purchasers need to identify necessary tools and types of format; develop common glossaries and classification systems or methods for translating between systems; collaborate to map and compare systems; develop data frameworks and reporting templates; develop the ability to export data as appropriate to other systems; and participate in various multi-stakeholder forums.
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From page 27... ...
COMMON THEMES GOING FORWARD During the last session of the workshop, participants discussed major gaps in knowledge for sustainable procurement, positive or negative attributes that characterize sustainable procurement, and what those attributes should be moving forward. The following are themes and issues many participants observed to be relevant and in need of further attention as sustainable procurement continues to be adopted by private and public sector organizations.
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From page 28... ...
The actual environmental health or soci etal impacts of products bearing such labels are typically not tracked and accounted for in any systematic way. A related issue is how inputs relate to the output of certified products, and how products could be designed with more consideration of outcomes.
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