Corporate Social Responsibility is a theme to which companies are attaching more and more importance. Faced with real expectations from employees (70% of employees want to be more involved in their employer's CSR approach!), companies are doubling their efforts. And for good reason ! Employees who are able to take advantage of company initiatives to get involved are generally more proud of their company (90% compared to 66% for employees who are not offered any initiatives), more fulfilled (80% compared to 62%) and more committed to their company's values and culture (81% compared to 58%).
To be truly effective, a CSR strategy requires that employees feel involved in it. And this on all company sites.
Here is a quick overview of Supply Chain issues, with ingenious actions that you too can implement!
Towards 100% recyclable or reusable packaging
One of the main challenges for managers in the logistics sector is linked to reducing the quantities of packaging.
Facilitating handling, storage, transport and transmission of information, secondary packaging (around the product) or tertiary packaging (pallets, plastic film) are at the heart of logistics operations. However, these have consequences on the management of flows and supplies, and therefore on the environmental footprint linked to their use. So, consideration is being given to 100% recyclable or reusable packaging.
This is the case of Carrefour, which announced at the end of 2018 a target of “100% of recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging” for the company's branded products by 2025, in order to move from “disposable to a circular economy”.
In practical terms, this means reducing the use of single-use plastics, eliminating non-recyclable plastic packaging for organic fruit and vegetables, stopping the sale of plastic straws and gradually replacing plastic straws on juice cartons.
Is it possible to avoid empty transport to increase profitability?
Transport and urban flows are also at the heart of concerns: CSR managers of companies in the logistics sector are orienting their CSR strategy to avoid empty transport. Today, nearly 30% of transport vehicles are not full, which is very expensive for the company (and for the planet!).
The solution ? Optimize logistics and transport of goods on the road by reducing the empty journeys of these vehicles.
A pioneer on a global scale, Trucknet offers a simple and intelligent solution for freight exchanges between companies. Created in 2014, Trucknet connects transport companies: the system allows the transporter to find a match between its empty trip and the needs of another transport player. After the usual checks (regulations, insurance), companies can conclude an agreement that suits both parties.
How does it work?
“Well let’s take a company of 20 trucks, which must transport goods from Paris to Lyon. When you arrive there, you drop off the goods and leave for Grenoble. If from Lyon to Grenoble, you travel empty, from Grenoble, you return to Paris, but full,” announces Hanan Friedman, CEO of Trucknet.
Optimizing the “last mile” using drones?
Closely linked to flow optimization, the “last mile” is also a major challenge for the logistics sector. Indeed, the observation is harsh: the last mile is the most expensive. As the product moves closer to its final recipient, the unit transportation cost increases and peaks during the last mile.
On a national scale, it accounts for around 20 % of traffic, occupies 30 % of roads and is the source of 25 % of greenhouse gas emissions*. We must therefore find solutions to prevent the last mile from becoming an environmental (and economic!) disaster.
Uber has no shortage of ideas! And yes, the firm appears determined to soon use drones for meal delivery, via UberEats. If many companies like Amazon or Google are just as attracted, UberEats could actually use it from 2021. UberExpress is the internal name used for this project.
*According to figures published by the Strategic Analysis Committee
Noise reduction
More than a third of the French population reports suffering from noise pollution at night. The cause? Transport and deliveries in urban areas. And worst of all, in this survey, 22% consider that noise at night is a source of anxiety, and 7% cause depression!
The transport of goods in the city remains above all perceived by the population as a source of nuisance: “polluting”, “noisy”, “dangerous”, “cumbersome” are adjectives frequently heard to describe it.
However, the process of night deliveries is likely to initiate a virtuous circle: by delivering earlier or very late without disturbing local residents, we deliver better and pollute less. In addition, by circulating when traffic is minimal, vehicles have better fuel efficiency, and since they are absent during peak hours, they do not contribute to traffic congestion. This makes it possible to reduce the negative externalities generated by urban delivery: pollutant emissions, congestion, abusive occupation of parking areas, etc.
To guarantee deliveries that respect the sleep of local residents, the Certibruit charter makes it possible to promote the efforts undertaken in terms of silent night delivery.
Among its members? McDonald's, Carrefour, La Poste, Stef, or even the Rungis market.
Eco-driving: a major strategic issue for companies
The transport sector today represents 35% of the total greenhouse gases emitted in France.
Eco-driving offers a double advantage: it reduces CO2 emissions into the air by up to 10% and generates fuel savings of 20% on average. Originally motivated by the increase in prices at the pump, companies are now measuring the effects of eco-driving on road safety.
Let us mention the example of La Poste which created Bemobi, a 100% subsidiary for eco-driving and defensive driving. After this training, La Poste was able to achieve a 5% reduction in its CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, and record a 10% reduction in the number of accidents! Since then, Bemobi has been a partner of numerous companies including Crédit Agricole, Orange, and Darty.
More frequent workplace accidents in the majority of activities in the sector: raise awareness among your employees in a fun way!
In transport, there were nearly 72 work accidents per 1,000 employees (frequency index) in 2014, and 41 work accidents per 1,000,000 hours worked (frequency rate). Thus, the risk of accidents in the supply chain sector is approximately 1.6 times higher than on average for all sectors of activity!*
*(according to a study by Carsat Nord Pas de Calais and AFT)
So managers in the sector are mobilising themselves to make their staff aware of these risks. But it's not always easy to get all your stakeholders involved!
To compensate for this, France Boissons has set up CiviTime, a serious game, to raise employee awareness of safety rules. Players are immersed in a tailor-made virtual universe representing their company's ecosystem.
CiviTime, how does it work?
The aim of the game ? Players have one mission per day, and per team, they must then challenge themselves through challenges, mini-games and duel quizzes, to meet the CSR commitments made by their employer.
CiviTime is an internal communication tool: the game is entirely personalized to the company's CSR strategy. France Boissons therefore enabled its internal stakeholders to be trained in the company's security rules in a fun and collaborative manner.
With an average participation rate of 61%, 87% players admit to having learned things about the actions carried out by their company, and 92% even wish to participate in a second season of CiviTime!
Promote a good atmosphere and internal communication, in a sector where psychosocial risks are higher than in other sectors of activity
More employees in transport and logistics suffer from difficulties linked to pace, recognition and fulfillment at work than in other sectors of activity (again according to the Carsat Nord study No Calais and AFT).
So to promote the professional development of its employees and on the occasion of the national week of quality of life at work, the DARTESS company offered them fun, educational and sporting activities.
A highlight of the year, the 250 employees were made aware of muscular risks and work accidents thanks to the intervention of a sports coach, a dietician or even an osteopath.
Initiated concretely in 2015 at DARTESS, these approaches work because for 35% of the company's employees, the quality of life at work has significantly improved over the last 5 years.
Develop your employer brand to retain and attract talent!
Driven by the explosion of online commerce, the logistics and transport sector is booming: logistics is today a heavyweight in recruitment!
So, to develop their employer brand, everything is done in the logistics sector internally at the human resources level to promote and strengthen the feeling of belonging to the company, as well as at the level of external communication to attract new talents.
What if your CSR strategy became a lever for attracting and retaining talent? And if the gamification was THE solution?
Indeed, the game has immense power for attention. In the world of work, gamification appears today as an innovative means of internal communication to engage its employees and develop its employer brand! Indeed, if 85% of employees say they do not feel involved in their company's CSR policy, 70 % want to be more involved, and 33% would like real training on the subject.
Inspired by this request, CiviTime then intervenes as a playful way to (in)train your employees!
To find out (even) more: civitime.com
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