I want to think innovatively with other businesses

When customers make new commitments, they often make greater demands of their suppliers. A large department store chain, for example, might market itself on all of its textiles being produced without the use of child labour.

A commitment like this transfers considerable responsibility to suppliers, who must now ensure that all of their suppliers and their suppliers' suppliers in turn live up to these principles.

Use the CSR Compass for responsible supply chain management (Danish)
Article: Responsible supply chain management – easier said than done (Danish)

Anticipate tomorrow's requirements
As a supplier, you can usefully ask yourself: Can we go even further than our customers require? Can we develop products that meet not only the requirements customers have today but also the requirements they will have tomorrow?

Can we create new solutions that live up to these requirements – and do it more cheaply than our competitors?

The US auto industry is currently dealing with just such a transformation. In the midst of a deep crisis, a whole series of small, green, development-oriented companies are in the process of revolutionising the industry.

A guide to responsible supply chain management (Danish)

Electric car maker Think benefited hugely from a partnership with A123 Systems, which produces lithium ion batteries. This partnership accelerated the development of sufficiently powerful batteries and led to the General Electric group joining the partnership and investing EUR 2.7 million in Think and EUR 13.5 million in A123 Systems.