Our Sustainability Approach for Walmart Suppliers 

Most of the companies who come to us are not ready to jump into a long-term consultant arrangement right away—and frankly, we would never suggest it. Instead, we prefer to get to know our clients first before either side has to make a serious commitment.  Not that we're commitment phobic--we just want to make sure that we can provide real value to your organization before we promise anything.  Here's how we approach the relationship:

Kickoff Engagement (Take Us On a Date)

We generally start with an initial, short-term project we call a kickoff engagement. This three-week process includes preliminary data collection and review, visits to your headquarters (and your main manufacturing facilities if applicable), and meetings with your key executives and managers.  Think of this as the courtship phase--we get to feel each other out and decide if its a relationship worth pursuing.

Scorecard Assessment and Roadmap (Consider Our Proposal)

At the end of the kickoff, we'll provide you with two documents.  The first is a scorecard assessment that tells you how your organization currently rates on Walmart's 15-question supplier scorecard assessment.  This report goes beyond simple yes/no scoring and provides insight into where you can easily improve, and where you can get additional credit simply by reframing the data that you already have.

The second document is a sustainability roadmap that lays out the policies, programs, and performance data needed to create an effective sustainability strategy.  This roadmap takes into account your current activities, your future business plans, industry trends, Walmart expectations, and your organization's level of commitment.  We'll give you three options to consider, explaining exactly what is involved (budget, personnel, and technology) in each sustainability option.  

Work with Us to Improve Your Score (Wedding Bells!)

If you decide to continue working with us (and of course you will!), SSC can help you improve your Walmart supplier sustainability assessment score with the following services, including, but not limited to:

We also want to point out that--while many suppliers are doing this ONLY because Walmart is requiring it--there are a huge number of bottom-line business benefits that your organization can realize by pursuing sustainability. We're happy to discuss them with you, should you need that extra bit of encouragement...

Our Team

SSC consultants are experts in the fields of sustainability strategy, environmental audits, green product design and life cycle assessments, sustainable manufacturing and process improvement, and project management.  You can learn more about us here.

We focus on how sustainability can bring you a competitive advantage—far beyond just compliance and regulatory issues. Unlike many environmental consultancies that tack on sustainability as an “add on” service, we look at the entire spectrum of sustainability issues that are important in your industry and important in your business model. We will put together a team of consultants with the specific skills you need for each phase of the project, rather than a small group of generalists.

Ready for the first conversation?

If SSC seems like a good fit for your organization, the next step is to contact us.  We'll get some preliminary information about your company, then provide you with a specific quote for the kickoff engagement.  And if you're looking for something specific that doesn't follow this exact model, that's okay too.  Click here to send us a message and get the conversation started.