IBM, through its own practices, has long recognized that a strong management system is critical for developing and sustaining programs that address responsibilities such as workplace safety, increasing energy efficiency and reducing waste.
To build the capability of its supply chain to manage its intersections with the environment and society, IBM announced in April 2010 that suppliers will now be required to establish a management system to address their corporate and environmental responsibilities.
Specifically, first-tier suppliers are required to do the following:
- Define, deploy, and sustain a management system that addresses corporate responsibility, including supplier conduct and environmental protection
- Measure performance and establish voluntary, quantifiable environmental goals
- Publicly disclose results associated with these voluntary environmental goals and other environmental aspects of their management systems
These requirements are not being implemented with a "one-size-fits-all" approach. The company expects each supplier to deploy a management system, measure performance, set goals and disclose results in a way that reflects their particular intersections with corporate responsibility and the environment. IBM is also requiring its firsttier suppliers to communicate these new requirements to their own suppliers who perform work that is material to the products, parts or services supplied to IBM. For more details on the new supply chain management system requirements, see: