Lean consulting service aims for sustainability

pcm_adminApril 12, 2007, 4:41 pmApril 12, 2007

CHEP Asia-Pacific has urged its food supply chain partners to think about sustainable distribution right across the supply chain, not just within company boundaries, to secure the future of an increasingly fragile food supply ecosystem.

Speaking at the Sustainable Supply Chain Forum in Sydney, the President of CHEP Asia-Pacific, Howard Wigham, said all parties would benefit if they minimised operational risks – both physical and environmental – while identifying new opportunities from the changing landscape.

“CHEP recognises that there is an opportunity to help food producers respond to climate change and increasing input costs,” Mr Wigham said. “While our expertise isn’t in food production, we can share our experience in food distribution.”

“In an environment of constrained supply, reducing waste, shrinkage and spoilage throughout the supply chain becomes critical.”

Mr Wigham said CHEP’s expertise in managing reusable, returnable supply chain packaging solutions could play an important role in helping the food industry to respond to sustainability challenges.

Best Results Australia organised the forum. Participants, including some of Australia’s largest food retailers, processors, wholesalers, growers, seed companies, banks and financiers, were told the only way to achieve sustainable agricultural supply throughout Australia’s farming community was through industry collaboration and wide scale change to existing supply chain practice.

The chairman of Best Results, Patrick Byrne, said CHEP could play an important role in reducing waste and input costs.

Mr Wigham said CHEP was seeking opportunities to work more closely with the food industry to ensure knowledge is shared more effectively.

“CHEP is in a unique position to observe the movement of fresh and processed goods through the supply chain – and we operate in 44 countries around the world,” Mr Wigham said.

“We want to build collaborative bridges with our supply chain partners, working with our customers and the industry to remove waste – compressing time, cost and space through lean thinking, reducing environmental footprints through green thinking and reducing physical harm by thinking safe.

“We have listened to our customers and many feel they would benefit from advice on lean consulting. We’re developing a new service in this area and would like to hear from organisations who’d like to participate in a pilot program,” Mr Wigham said.

For more information contact CHEP Asia-Pacific on