21st century supply chains (SC21) > what is SC21? > why do SC21?

A growing number of customers, suppliers and competitors are committing to SC21. It is therefore important that you understand this programme and consider whether your business should participate in order to maintain its competitive position.

What are the benefits of committing?

Your company could benefit from some specific savings - for example when customer audits are reduced under SC21. You will achieve reduced overheads from supporting fewer audits, which is valuable to you in offering the most competitive solution to your customer. Through participating in SC21 your business will understand how the industry will be changing in the future and you will be aware of the latest developments in the sector.

What does it cost to participate?

It costs nothing to subscribe to SC21. To fully engage in the change programme will require the commitment of some resources, but the benefits accrued from SC21 will easily outweigh any resource allocations.

If my company chooses to sign-up, what will the SC21 signatory companies expect of me and how will I need to demonstrate my company has satisfied these expectations?

As a signatory to SC21 you will become a member of the SC21 taskforce. The taskforce meets regularly to review progress in the implementation of SC21. The main aims of the forum are:

• review progress against the plan
• communications forum for sharing success stories, lesson learned and specific issues

Dates for next meetings

What will my company get out of SC21?

By participating in SC21 you are positioning your company as an innovative market leading company which is willing to develop long term relationships with your customers and suppliers. By applying SC21 principles you will be able to significantly improve your company's supply chain performance and reduce duplication.

What are the risks if I simply ignore SC21?

The total number of companies committed to SC21 doubled within two months of its launch. The more companies that join this initiative, the greater the benefit to the UK supply chain. There is some risk that over time, those businesses that have not embraced SC21 and developed their businesses along these lines will become less attractive as key suppliers.