Green Makes Good Business Sense
How Do Green Suppliers Benefit Your Business?

Going “green” has become a higher priority in today’s global business environment.  Financial services providers of all shapes and sizes are benefiting from using green products and practices.  Those financial services providers taking a step in the right direction when it comes to sensible environmental and ecological decisions are attracting customer attention.

Whether your organization has already jumped on the “green” bandwagon, or if you’re just starting to explore ways to make your operations more earthy-friendly, partnering with “green” suppliers is an easy first step.  Read on to learn how “green” suppliers can help your organization put its best foot forward.

Strengthen the corporate brand and corporate culture  By incorporating “green” suppliers into your business practices, your customers will see your commitment to protecting the environment and increase loyalty.  Many clients now consider “green” practices when evaluating service providers.  And, your efforts help make a difference in your local community and draw the attention of everyone in your area.

Furthermore, some financial services providers are finding that environmental efforts are good for morale.  Employees’ sense of company pride is strengthened when they know their company is acting in the best interest of the environment and surrounding communities.  That good feeling and positive attitude filters down to their interactions with customers.

New customers looking for responsible vendors  While the pressure to “go green” is felt across all industries, your customers look to you to maintain a leadership role in environmental stewardship.  More and more companies are joining the green initiative because their customers demand it, and green suppliers can help you demonstrate environmental responsibility. 

"Our suppliers are very conscious that environmental issues are one of our major selection criteria, right along with quality, service, delivery and innovation," says Dean Edwards, chief procurement officer of Kaiser Permanente1.  "We've made it clear that the supplier that comes up with an environmentally preferred, cost equivalent product is going to get our business."

Driven by corporate policy, individual purchaser(s), or executive direction, such supply chain policies ensure your firm, customers and supply chain have a positive impact on the environment.

Increased operational efficiencies and reduced operating costs  Organizations that have re-tooled their operations to reduce energy and resource consumption often benefit from the direct cost savings of these efforts.  Much of the avoidable waste that financial services providers generate is related to the daily habits of employees. 

For example, few people print individual pages from a document that are a necessity and instead print entire documents.  Such practices lead to document proliferation and a strain on the environment.  By implementing a strategic enterprise document management strategy, opportunity exists to realize hard dollar savings. 

In addition, efforts to reduce sources of non-recyclable waste products from facilities can not only save on waste disposal costs but also reduce regulatory compliance costs.

Minimize future risks  Firms that take action now, to incorporate sustainability principles into their business models, are more likely to gain an advantage over their “non-green” competitors.  Many organizations believe that potential carbon taxes or environmental regulation will have some impact on their business in the years ahead, while others are taking action to incorporate green vendors as a central component of their business strategy.  As Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, often said, “change before you have to.”

Standard Register recognizes its responsibility and commitment to the environment and to the communities in which we work and serve.  Our “less paper strategy” for managing our customers’ document flow has had a significant impact on reducing total paper consumption in North America. 

If you’re looking for ways to clean-up your business process, as well as lessening and eradicating environmental hazards, contact us today.  Together we can share responsibility for reducing the environmental impacts of daily operations.