Enabling a Supply Chain-Wide Sustainability Assessment: A Focus on the Electronics and Automotive Industries

Abstract

This chapter presents research results on the topic of supply chain sustainability assessment. It is based on interactions with multiple stakeholders from the automotive and electronics industry to determine on which sustainability aspects data exchange could take place all along the supply chain. A focus is then set on company representatives in these sectors to define which indicators make sense to assess these sustainability aspects and what the company requirements are to implement a supply chain-wide assessment. Findings suggest a set of 36 sustainability aspects to exchange sustainability data along the supply chain with 69 corresponding qualitative and quantitative indicators. A framework and methods to calculate the sustainability performance of supply chains are also provided and assessed according to seven industry requirements. The standardized approach enables practitioners to save time in sustainability data exchange and improve the assessment and traceability of their products, individual companies and supply chains. This work provides to our knowledge the most complete tool for a supply chain-wide sustainability assessment on the environmental, social and governance dimensions of sustainability.