Development of sustainability metrics for suppliers in the Healthcare industry - A case study of Wellspect HealthCare

Abstract

Sustainability is attracting the concerns from governments, individuals and communities. To respond to the interests from these stakeholders, many companies are paying more attention and efforts in the sustainability areas, attempting to set up a sustainable supply chain. As one of the most important roles in the supply chain, suppliers play an influential role in sustainability for companies. In order to develop a more sustainable supply chain, companies want to utilize sustainability metrics to evaluate and control the sustainable performance of their suppliers. Many companies that are currently in the initial stage of its sustainability work are interested in this area, however they do not know how to proceed. Therefore, the purpose of this report is to aid Wellspect HealthCare to design its sustainability metrics for suppliers and also provide guidance in how to successfully implement these metrics through an in-depth analysis of factors that could influence an implementation of change. This research utilized qualitative methodologies to collect data, which consisted of 17 interviews, including 8 internal stakeholders, 2 external suppliers, literature review and documents. With the support of this information, this research designed and analyzed sustainability metrics that are suitable for Wellspect HealthCare and its suppliers. Additionally, the result of this research identified various factors that could impact the implementation of sustainability metrics and concluded how to utilize these factors in a successful way. The findings from this research could help Wellspect HealthCare to enrich its sustainability work through an implementation of metrics for suppliers in an effective way. Lastly, since the research was based on a real case company, it has also contributed to valuable insights and knowledge for other companies about implementing new changes in the sustainability area.