| How SP Provides Value to Its Members
The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) is first
and foremost a collaborative process. While its vision and
goals are keenly focused on improving the environmental footprint
of the automotive supply chain and its approach sufficiently
tested to inspire confidence, the framework under which it
should operate is still open for discussion. With a focus
on the supply chain, this operational framework must be structured
enough to provide legal protections for participating companies
while flexible enough to meet an array of supplier needs.
NOTE: Cost savings realized through SP activities and workshops
will remain with the participating supplier.
SP provides value to its members in a number of ways, including:
- Providing a forum for cross-sector companies to work
together on work groups and task forces.
- Making available to members various environmental tools,
best practices, and lessons learned that the OEMs and Tier
I suppliers have successfully used, including SP's "Members
Only" section that provides access to Federal-Mogul
Corporation's and Lear Corporation's "toolkits"
to achieve ISO 14001 environmental management system (EMS)
certifications.
- Leveraging resources to provide technical assistance
that recognizes the need to convey environmental management
information and technical assistance to sub-tier suppliers.
Utilizing a unique partnership with EPA and the NIST MEP,
SP can assist companies to target sub-tier suppliers and
drive environmental improvements through their supply chain
without having to commit extensive amounts of their own
time and resources. Two examples of opportunities to retain
cost savings realized through SP activities include:
- During the BAE Industries SP NIST MEP Technical Assistance
Workshop, a cost savings of $323,487 was identified, with
a one-time conversion to cash at $446,880.
- Through the Saturn pilot project, cost saving opportunities
were identified in the range of $374,000 to $464,000 collectively
from the four Tier I workshops. Extrapolated across the
entire GM Tier I supply chain, the estimated potential economic
value of the work done to date is between $390 million to
$520 million.
- Making available the services of NIST MEP to educate
Tier I trainers on environmental management tools that can
then be used within their own facilities. Members can also
target direct sub-tier suppliers to receive technical assistance
from the NIST MEP centers and these facilities will receive
priority attention.
- Providing an opportunity to work with other members to
identify externally driven environmental impacts. For example,
during the Saturn pilot project, 11 of the 16 opportunities
identified in Tier I companies were externally driven (GM
or Saturn customer requirements). GM and other OEM members
are committed to working with their suppliers to identify
and address similar Tier I supplier issues.
- Providing an opportunity to connect with other suppliers
on environmental issues. Many Tier I suppliers supply other
OEMs and each other. The unique forum offered by SP will
allow suppliers to network with each other while developing
a closer relationship with OEMs.
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