Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) Sustainability Index

16th September 2013

In April this year the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply launched the CIPS Sustainability Index (CSI). 

Why is CSI a big deal?  Well, supply chains are now longer and more integrated than ever before.  This means buyers need to know their suppliers to help them manage supply chain risk.  Suppliers receive questionnaires from buyers asking for all sorts of background info. Many of the questions are standard across an industry.  So, to prove their credentials, suppliers end up being asked by their buyers to answer the same questions in different ways. The CIPS Sustainability Index asks the common set of economic, environmental and social questions that buyers need information on, reviews those questions and provides a scoring that’s independent, easy to understand and in a way that brings huge efficiencies to the whole supply chain.

Some of its key attributes are-
• Produced by a Purchasing Professional Body (CIPS) for the UK purchasing profession
• Delivered in conjunction with PRGX – one of the world’s leading data audit companies.
• Underpinned by sound independent academic research
• Supported by industry mentors from the public and private sectors including higher education
• Produces scores by sustainability pillar and benchmarks  by cluster within pillar
• Supports smallest SME to largest corporate
• Supports all industry sectors
• Has developed specific ‘how to improve’ support material for all the areas covered.

Since its launch over has already over 100 buying organisations have registered from the public and private sectors. They have collectively nominated over 25,000 suppliers nominated for adoption with over 4000 coming from the HE sector. 

Currently there is at least a 18% shared supplier rate across all business sectors.
You can find more details on  the CSI web site - www.cips-sustainabilityindex.com or if you would like to chat to one of the CSI team then just email - info@cips-si.com.

The EAUC are currently in talks to become a ‘knowledge partner’ to the CSI providing help and guidance to the ongoing development of the index as well as additional sources of support material for buyers and suppliers.