More SMEs to adopt green supply chain initiatives

Global – Small and mid-sized firms in the manufacturing, wholesale and distribution sectors are increasingly committed to using environmentally friendly applications, said a recent study.

In a market intelligence research, IDC surveyed 250 decision makers at small and mid-sized enterprises in the manufacturing, wholesale and distribution industries. They discovered that even small supply chain firms (with about 20-99 employees) were supportive of green initiatives. This is encouraging to manufacturing and supply chain application providers who can leverage on these findings to support new business processes and transformational business procedures.

"While the social responsibility for establishing green initiatives is now generally regarded as the norm for European companies, U.S. firms have been slow to embrace the technologies that would support this effort," said Judy Hodges, manager of IDC's Small and Medium Business Markets: Enterprise Applications research service. "However, in our most recent IDC AppStats Survey,we find that small and mid-sized manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors in the United States are on the path toward leveraging innovative technologies to support a green supply chain."

According to the research, the surveyed supply chain companies are committed to using environmentally friendly manufacturing, warehouse and distribution, mobile-enabled and human resource applications.

The manufacturing application supports a renewable way of production, helps companies increase profitability and efficiency by reducing risks in their supply chain, the report said. Warehouse and distribution applications trim and increase the accuracy of inventory levels, adding to the cost savings of companies. In addition, mobile-enabled applications provide companies with more cost reducing measures by using energy conservation devices.