Technology is key for wholesalers to achieve sustainability goals

Global movements to fight climate change continue to gain momentum after a year of protests. These campaigns follow a “War on Plastic” where people rallied to fight against the growing amount of rubbish in our oceans. As a result, everyone is more conscious about the environmental and ethical impacts their lives have on the world. Businesses across all industries are being encouraged to play their part, no matter how small a change it will make. This includes reducing carbon emissions, plastic packaging and food waste, as well as procuring goods responsibly. Your customers are now more mindful about these issues and expect you to have sustainability at the heart of your supply chains. Consequently, business operations are shifting to accommodate this need to report on the various environmental impacts of your business. As demonstrated by Wrap, who launched their Food Waste Reduction Roadmap to support businesses “Target, Measure, Act.” However, managing the amount of data needed to keep up with these changing socio-economic and political requirements is a burden on your resources. Especially when added to new legislation requirements such as Tobacco Track and Trace and Making Tax Digital. Luckily, technology will continue to play a major role in helping you overcome this. You will already have a multitude of IT systems in place. However, it’s likely that you still need other spreadsheets to record information that doesn’t fit anywhere else. This creates data gaps which ultimately causes delays, misinformation and unnecessary waste across your business. An agile ERP system that centralises all your business information and integrates with third-party applications is necessary. These systems give you complete control and flexibility over your supply chain, from procurement to delivery. They also enable you to harnesses the real-time data and processes needed to increase transparency, product traceability and supplier collaboration. For example, dynamic stock management makes it easier to track seasonal trends and ensure over-purchasing is not needed to meet customer demands. Essential for food and drink wholesalers who want to reduce waste, as well as save money! Additionally, the environmental and financial costs of errors will decrease because your product information is accurate and up-to-date. In your warehouse, voice systems and automation mean orders will be picked by the most efficient route to reduce unnecessary carbon emissions. Furthermore, electronic proof of delivery (epod) reduces the need for additional reams of paper. To find out more about how technology can help your business maximise your operational efficiency and increase sustainability throughout your supply chain, contact David Hughes at Business Computer Projects (BCP) on 0161 355 3000 or email david.hughes@bcpsoftware.com

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