SME Supply Chain Collaboration and Carbon Reporting

In this episode of "Made to Grow," Rich welcomes Nishant Raj, CEO of Value Chain, to explore the challenges SMEs face in managing upstream Scope 3 carbon emissions. Nishant shares insights on how SMEs can integrate sustainable supply chains and leverage digitisation to meet growing demands for environmental accountability.

Guest Overview: Nishant Raj
Nishant Raj is the CEO of Value Chain, a B2B SaaS company focused on helping SMEs and OEMs digitise and collaborate across their supply chains. With a background in manufacturing and leadership roles at Vauxhall and Atlas Copco, Nishant is passionate about driving sustainability and innovation in supply chains.

Key Points:
- What is Scope 3? Nishant explains the concept of upstream Scope 3 emissions, which include the indirect carbon footprint tied to supply chains. SMEs are increasingly required to account for these emissions as part of their sustainability commitments.
- Digitising Supply Chains: SMEs often rely on manual systems like Excel to manage their supply chains, which are inefficient and limit scalability. Nishant discusses how digitisation and robust systems can help SMEs manage data, reduce risks, and prepare for unforeseen challenges like the pandemic or supply chain disruptions.
- Sustainability Trends: SMEs are shifting from focusing solely on cost to integrating carbon footprint considerations into their procurement processes. This shift is driven by customer demand for transparency and the need to meet ESG requirements.
- Simplifying Carbon Data Collection: Nishant highlights how real-time data and supply chain collaboration can help SMEs accurately capture Scope 3 emissions, moving away from the average estimations that currently dominate the industry.
- Making Sustainability Accessible for SMEs: Nishant addresses the barriers SMEs face in accessing technology and sustainability tools, advocating for intuitive, affordable systems that integrate seamlessly with existing ERP setups. His vision is for SMEs to be able to leverage these tools without needing extensive supply chain expertise.
- The Lighthouse Project: Nishant introduces Data Sync, a project under the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub grant, which offers up to five SMEs the chance to digitise their supply chains and track emissions at a reduced cost. The initiative is aimed at helping smaller manufacturers meet sustainability goals and improve supply chain collaboration.

Conclusion:
This episode sheds light on the growing importance of Scope 3 emissions in supply chains and how SMEs can tackle the challenge of managing their carbon footprints. Nishant’s approach to sustainability and supply chain innovation is key for businesses aiming to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Resources:
For more information about Nishant and Value Chain, visit their website or connect with Nishant on LinkedIn.

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