Supply Chain Sustainability: A Model to Assess the Maturity Level

Abstract

Today, frameworks and models are critical for enabling organizations to identify their current sustainability integration into business and to follow up on these initiatives over time. In this context, the maturity models offer a structured way of analyzing how a supply chain meets specific sustainability requirements and which areas demand attention to reach maturity levels. This study proposes a five-level maturity model to help supply chains managers identify their level of engagement with sustainability practices combining three perspectives: the intra- and inter-organizational sustainability practices, the triple-bottom-line approach and the critical areas for sustainability. All the steps followed in constructing the maturity model were based on a literature review, and case studies supported its improvement, application, and testing. The proposed model presents many advantages, such as being used as a self-assessment tool, a roadmap for sustainability behaviors improvement, and a benchmarking tool to evaluate and compare standards and best practices among organizations and supply chains.