🔗 Your vendors can make or break your sustainability strategy.
As distributors scale up their green initiatives, it’s not enough to offer eco-friendly products—you also need suppliers who are transparent, reliable, and ERP-ready when it comes to sustainability metrics.
This blog shows how to evaluate, onboard, and collaborate with vendors that align with your sustainability tracking goals—and how your ERP system can streamline every step.
🌿 What Makes a Vendor “Sustainability-Aligned”?
Look for partners who:
Offer certified green products (FSC, Cradle to Cradle, etc.)
Provide accurate VOC, emissions, or recycled content data
Can supply digital documentation at the PO or shipment level
Are willing to report performance for ESG tracking
Maintain chain of custody records for responsible sourcing
🧩 Step-by-Step: Building a Vendor Strategy with ERP
✅ 1. Create a Vendor Sustainability Scorecard
Use your ERP vendor module to track:
% of SKUs with valid certifications
On-time doc delivery rate (SDS, LEED, etc.)
Emissions or recycled content declarations
Packaging sustainability efforts
ERP Tip: Set minimum criteria for “preferred green vendor” status.
✅ 2. Streamline Vendor Onboarding
Create ERP-driven onboarding templates that require:
Third-party certification uploads
Sustainability contact info
Agreement to participate in traceability and reporting programs
📋 No paperwork? No partnership.
✅ 3. Automate Documentation Handling
Ensure your ERP can:
Store and attach vendor-provided docs to SKUs automatically
Alert teams when documents expire or are missing
Push updates to your CRM, sales tools, or customer portals
✅ 4. Share Sustainability Data Back to Vendors
Use ERP reports to:
Show product sales by category (e.g., low-VOC, recycled, FSC)
Highlight which items are leading in green growth
Identify gaps in supplier reporting or documentation
📈 This builds stronger partnerships and encourages vendor accountability.
🏁 Final Thoughts
Strong sustainability metrics require strong vendor collaboration. With ERP workflows in place, you’ll save time, reduce risk, and build a supplier network that supports your ESG goals—not complicates them.
📞 Ready to align your ERP with vendors who support your green strategy? Let’s optimize your sourcing and tracking system today.
