Explore Key Sustainable Procurement Processes
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Explain how sustainability is built into the procurement process.
- Explain how Salesforce evaluates supplier sustainability progress.
- Describe how Salesforce is enabling suppliers on their net zero journey.
To create impactful programs that can scale, we aim to fully integrate sustainability into our procurement strategies, processes, and decision-making from supplier selection to contracting to performance evaluation and risk monitoring. We empower our sourcing team and key partners to help design and implement innovative mechanisms that mobilize supplier action and demonstrate that climate action is a business priority.
Selecting Suppliers
When Salesforce issues a standard request for proposal (RFP) for a product or service, sustainability expectations are clearly stated. This ensures alignment of values and prevents miscommunication on either side. A standard Salesforce RFP includes a set of general sustainability-related requests with additional industry-specific questions included as needed. Here are examples of what you might expect from a Salesforce RFP.
Examples of General Sustainability-Related Questions and Requests
| Sustainability Initiatives and Commitments |
Climate Targets |
|---|---|
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Examples of Potential Industry-Specific RFP Questions and Requests
| Travel, Hotels |
Workplace Services |
Data Centers |
|---|---|---|
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Contracting
If the supplier is selected to provide products/services to Salesforce, sustainability will be included in the contract through a Sustainability Exhibit. Depending on the industry, scale of business with Salesforce, and several other factors, additional sustainability requirements may be included in the contract.
The next unit explores the contents of the Sustainability Exhibit.
Working Together
Evaluate Performance
Once we begin working with our suppliers, we use a consistent framework to regularly evaluate progress. We use third-party tools, such as EcoVadis and CDP Supply Chain, as well as custom surveys to collect data and track progress.
Suppliers that participate in strategic business reviews with Salesforce can expect to discuss sustainability and review their progress against our sustainability expectations during these meetings.
Accelerate Progress by Enabling Our Suppliers
Our approach to supplier sustainability is built on our understanding that sustainability is a journey and that we can only be successful if we work together. We strive to provide our suppliers with support and resources that can accelerate their progress to net zero. This includes both direct, high-touch engagements and providing scalable solutions to common challenges. For example, our Net Zero Toolkit introduces key concepts like building a business case for climate action, measuring GHG emissions, setting climate targets, and making progress towards them.
We’re particularly focused on taking an inclusive approach to supplier sustainability that supports small and diverse businesses to build their climate resilience and meet the expectations of customers and other stakeholders. As part of our enablement program, we provide special programs and resources that are tailored for smaller businesses.
In the next unit, you learn more about the Sustainability Exhibit, a key document used to integrate sustainability requirements into the supply chain.