Another Reason to Green-Up Your Document Center

An article in the November issue of Fast Company magazine suggests large businesses may be putting more pressure on their vendors and suppliers to be environmentally conscious.

You've probably heard that Wal Mart has had supplier guidelines in place for quite some time. These guidelines have resulted in changes in product packaging, manufacturing processes, and shipping. But now, two other big companies, Proctor & Gamble and Kaiser Permanente have set up similar programs.

Just like Wal Mart, these companies are using their purchasing clout to force environmental sustainability upon their vendors. Over the next few years, information about a vendor's recycling efforts, waste generation, energy and water conservation, etc. could influence future procurement decisions.

Measuring environmental impacts and gauging the degree of improvement made by a supplier is going to be tough. It will be particularly difficult for the companies mentioned above or others like them to compare environmental factors across wide geographic areas. There may be different standards applied in various industries and in different countries. According to the Fast Company article, measuring environmental improvements over time will likely be one of the rating factors. So having a program in place that seeks continuous improvements might be a good strategy.

For a vendor who supplies multiple organizations with conflicting or overlapping standards it could get pretty complex to remain on the top of one customer's preferred-vendor list without falling lower in the eyes of another customer. But overall, making any environmental improvement is bound to have a favorable impression.

So what? We don't supply Proctor & Gamble!

Your company may not do business with Wal Mart, Kaiser, or P & G. But it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect other companies to follow these industry leaders. Soon you could be subject to meeting environmental targets set by your other customers. Besides, your organization might supply products or services to another business who is a vendor for one of these companies. Influence on environmental practices might trickle down a couple of levels, which makes your company a participant once-removed!

We've discussed many ideas in articles and newsletters about how easy it can be to make your document center greener. Most of these have been written from the perspective of the documents as the product. But if you work in a print/mail center of a company that manufactures a product that ends up being used by Wal Mart or one of the other companies, the environmental efforts you make in the document center can contribute to the overall environmental rating applied to your organization. This rating may become increasingly valuable in the future.

Action Item - Do an Analysis

Take a look at your print and mail operation. Are there ways to reduce page counts? Eliminate non-responsive prospects from marketing lists? Improve deliverability? Change formats?

There are dozens of strategies you might choose to adopt. We can come in and do an expert analysis or you can do it yourself. But no matter which direction you go, get started today. Then, if a directive comes down from your customers you'll be ready with strategies that can make an environmental and competitive difference.