SPLC and SHIFT Partner to Launch Innovative Sustainable Procurement Assessment Platform

The Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC), a global non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable purchasing practices, is thrilled to announce its partnership with SHIFT, a cutting-edge technology platform for sustainability tools, born out of the esteemed Sustainability Initiative at MIT Sloan. Together, they are scaling SPLC's groundbreaking sustainable procurement assessment, to enable procurement and sourcing to drive positive environmental and social impact across global supply chains.

The new sustainable procurement assessment platform developed by SPLC with SHIFT builds on the organization’s decade of multi-stakeholder work with sustainable procurement leaders to identify core best practices that enable procurement to drive meaningful, strategically focused impact. The tool will scale sustainable procurement best practices by providing procurement teams with a comprehensive pulse check and diagnosis of their current sustainability initiatives, whatever stage they are at. The assessment process enables procurement professionals to benchmark against their peers, understand their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, and set a path forward to a robust, strategic sustainable procurement program.

Key Features of the Sustainable Procurement Assessment Platform:

• Pulse Check and Diagnostic: The assessment tool is a valuable diagnostic resource, offering organizations a clear and objective evaluation of their sustainable procurement practices. It analyzes key sustainability indicators, allowing companies to identify areas where they excel and areas where improvements are necessary. These crucial insights, together with recommended resources and best practices, enable organizations to take informed actions toward enhancing their sustainable procurement performance.
  
  
• Benchmarking and Comparison: Besides providing an internal evaluation, the assessment tool will empower organizations to benchmark and compare their results against other organizations operating in similar industries or sectors. This feature encourages companies to learn from one another and fosters healthy competition to drive overall progress toward impactful sustainable procurement practices.
  
  
• Effective and Strategic Action: Global supply chains are often the main source of social and environmental sustainability impacts for organizations. To address issues like greenhouse gas emissions, labor rights, resource conservation, and worker safety, organizations need to integrate sustainable procurement practices into their operations, collaborating with the market and their suppliers to take action. Without a prioritized sustainable procurement strategy, companies often waste resources without significant results. SPLC's Assessment helps evaluate and develop effective programs to drive durable outcomes.

Commenting on the partnership, Sarah O’Brien, CEO of SPLC, said: "We are delighted to work with SHIFT to expand access to SPLC’s groundbreaking sustainable procurement assessment to additional organizations around the globe. The marriage of SPLC's world-leading expertise in sustainable purchasing and SHIFT's cutting-edge technology will empower organizations worldwide to take meaningful steps towards truly effective responsible procurement practices."

Saman Baghestani, Co-founder and CEO of SHIFT notes that the partnership is an expression of SHIFT’s commitment to its mission of democratizing access to best-in-class sustainability tools and assessments for organizations of all sizes.  “This partnership with SPLC represents a big leap forward, enabling any organization to access the thought leadership and subject matter expertise that SPLC brings to the table.”

The Sustainable Procurement Assessment Platform is currently in beta mode. The public will be able to demo the platform at SPLC’s annual Summit on August 14-16, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. SPLC members will be able to access the platform following release, and it will publicly available shortly thereafter. The Sustainable Procurement Assessment Platform was made possible thanks to support from Rose International, Sustainability Advantage, and MGM Resorts.

ABOUT SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

The Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) is a global community of purchasers, suppliers, advocates, and experts committed to driving positive impact through the power of procurement.

SPLC connects members directly to sustainable procurement expertise and has a proven track record of supporting hundreds of organizations as they design and execute meaningful sustainable procurement strategies. SPLC members gain access to one-on-one training, a network of engaged peers, and practical guidance that includes case studies, webinars, contract language, tools, and category-specific resources.

To learn more and join, visit www.sustainablepurchasing.org. 

ABOUT SHIFT

SHIFT is an online platform that allows you to navigate the sea of sustainability tools and carve out your pathway to implementation. On the web at: https://shift.tools