The Lean and Green Supply Chain is Sustainable

This book combines the concepts of Lean and Sustainability so that they can be implemented simultaneously and harmoniously in an organization. It describes both concepts in detail as well as shows how they are synergistic while detailing a methodology to implement them successfully at the same time.

Sustainability, as it applies to the Supply Chain, refers to companies’ efforts to consider the environmental and human impact of their products’ journey through the Supply Chain, from raw materials sourcing to production, storage, delivery, return, and every transportation link in between. The goal is to minimize environmental harm from factors like energy usage, water consumption, and waste production while having a positive impact on the people and communities in and around their operations.

Lean Supply Chain, on the other hand, uses a management approach that aims to reduce waste and maximize value throughout the extended Supply Chain. The goal is to deliver products to customers efficiently, with minimal waste, and in a way that can adapt to unexpected delays and changing market demand through resilience.

The book truly shows that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” when they are implemented efficiently with a proper methodology so that an organization can gain the benefits of both philosophies simultaneously.