Sustainability in logistics and supply chains was the topic of discussion at the conclave.
The key takeaways for me were:

1. Sustainability solutions for logistics and supply chains positively make an economic sense

• Citing one such scenario, a customer pointed out a case of return. Pick anywhere and Return Anywhere.
• We also discussed the importance of finding the right(nearest) store to ship faster with a lower customer footprint.
• A customer in the cement business made a case about the advantages concerning EV vehicles and new technology in cement manufacturing.

One truly intriguing question that stood out for me was:
What happens if there are trade-offs between profits and sustainability when there is a divergence? Everyone agreed that if there are no trade-offs, it is a no-brainer. However, it would be interesting to see how the market evolves when it involves choosing one over the other.

2. Measurement of sustainability is a key challenge. Some difficult questions to be answered are:

• How do we get the data?
• Once we have the data, how do we apportion carbon costs to individual SKUs?

Both big topics in their own right

A lot of interesting conversations ensued when members raised some important questions. The answer to some questions lies in the future with technological advancements and brilliant innovations. However, asking questions or stating a problem is the first step to finding a solution. The conclave addressed some important topics that the industry cannot and must not ignore.

At Smartlinks, we are curious to see how this space evolves and how we can play a role in this space from a technology solution standpoint.