August 2009
Halcrow has combined its procurement expertise and sustainability ethos to create a new service known as Sustainable Sourcing.
This new service goes beyond the traditional approach of streamlining supply chains to reduce purchase costs, inventories and transaction costs.
As well as achieving those standard benefits, Sustainable Sourcing maximises sustainability in the supply chain. This might involve opting for renewable resources, assessing the carbon impact of the transport of supplies, or enhancing the capability of the communities that supply services.
The key behind this service is a Halcrow-developed system known as ISTAR (Integrated Sustainability Toolkit and Rating system). It allows users to appraise and guide decision-making around key sustainability issues.
ISTAR was developed through a collaborative engineering doctorate research project with the University of Bristol. A key strength of the system is its stakeholder-driven approach, which provides users with the ability to ‘define’ sustainability for a specific client or context. It has been used in the UK and overseas, and was used in the sustainable design of a €300 million resort development on the shores of Lake Balaton in Hungary.
Once sustainability has been defined for a client using ISTAR, the procurement activities and supply chain are then streamlined to improve the sustainability of the entire supply base.
Halcrow director Rupert Booth said:
“Sustainable Sourcing was developed for organisations to reach out and make a tangible difference to the quality of life for the whole community.
It is hoped that the entire exercise will be cost-neutral as the financial savings that arise from the project should pay for the exercise and leave the organisation with a greener supply chain.”