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This section is more complete in French so feel free to visit the french version if you want to have more details.

• Point of view  #4 -October  9th 2018 ::
  How to capitalize on SCM expertise to implement CSR strategy

In the previous Point of View, we highlighted the historical key stages leading to the emergence of CSR.

In the early 1980’s, the Supply Chain Management (SCM) concept arose to allow a better transversal integration of the company and valorization of  its resources to serve customer satisfaction and profitability, with fundamental principles a CSR approach can only approve.

However, one could object SCM focuses only on economics, while CSR integrates 3 axes: economy, social and the environment. Is this really the case? Although SCM seems to consider the interests of only 2 stakeholders (the shareholders for the profitability and its customers for the service), we ought not to under estimate the indirect social and environmental gains it creates. For example, the pacification of relationships within silos of the company, as well as with its suppliers and customers, or chasing down waste to limit scraps and material losses, without talking about transportation optimization decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Thus, Supply Chain Management, while being focused on the economic stake, directly or indirectly contributes to most of the CSR axes.

Therefore, it’s completely logical today to think about how to take advantage of SCM experience to facilitate the integration of CSR practices into the company?

• Point of view #3 -July 26th 2018 :
  The origins of Corporate Social Responsibility

CSR, what are we really talking about and how to capitalize on SCM practices to engage its CSR approach?

This question has motivated a series of Point of View, the first of which is a return to the sources of CSR.

In the 18th century, organizations were incorporated by the King through the issuance of a charter giving to right holders a monopole over an activity or a territory, with a precise mission (construction of a canal, spices trade) and in the interest of the monarchy. Charters were limited in duration and the King had the power to revoke the charter or put in jail the right holders if the organization wasn’t operating in compliance with the agreed mission and the established order.

Therein, the King prefigured a CSR objective with the will to preserve raw materials and social order, resources managements and socials considerations being centralized. But the opposition to this supreme authority motivated revolutions from the base made of individuals wanting to exist as such.

The rise of liberalism first had a political impact, playing its role in revolutions and the establishment of Republics at the end of the 18th century before gaining the economic sphere.

Adam Smith then asserts the general interest comes from the sum of individual interests, evoking the “invisible hand” of the free market.

1953, Bowen lays the foundations of the social responsibility of the Businessman…

• Point of view #2 - September 5th 2016 :
  The origins of Project Management

Even if project management is a model which has been fully developed in the 50s, experts agree to say it first appeared with the construction of Florence Cathedral’s dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1418. He was one of the first to clearly distinguish the design phase from the implementation phase.

The project management skill has long been developed within major IT projects by integrators, without transfer to the operations world. However, heavy manufacturing for small series has quickly understood the challenge to master project management in order to put under control the project realization time to limit the costs of complex projects ... and this is why increasingly sophisticated Project Management software tools have quickly emerged. Nevertheless many projects still get out of control, lacking of a proper project management ... How come?

According to the moralist Vauvenargues, "Project science should be to prevent the execution issues." Thus, often a project fails because of inefficient Project Management.

• Point of view #1 - April 19th 2016 :
  The VMI's implementation

In a context of reducing the working capital, an increasing number of OEMs wants to implement VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) with their suppliers in order to reduce their stocks.

VMI is a "consignment stock" or an "advanced stock" managed by the supplier.  The client imposes the stock level he wants but pays only when he consumes. To do that, the client must transmit not only his consumptions to activate the invoicing process, but also his consumptions forecasts in order to enable the supplier to better manage his production and replenishment stock.

Easy to say but hard to do, because only some OEMs that practice VMI have a good consumptions forecasts control: unfortunately it is often an outsourcing of the stock problem.