Get Recognized for Being Green Through Ariba Discovery
By Jonathan Rosen, Senior Product Manager, Ariba Discovery
It's no secret that going green can mean big business. Buying organizations worldwide are seeking suppliers who can meet sustainability requirements and support green initiatives. In the United States, three of this year's top ten largest venture capital funding deals went to environmental product companies, and headlines abound about soaring consumer demand for green products and services. European legislation now requires suppliers to comply with stringent environmental requirements, and many other countries are adding similar laws.
Ariba buying organizations are a big part of this trend, with four out of ten businesses recently surveyed expressing strong interest in connecting with green suppliers. Buyers frequently tell me that they usually have plenty of vendors for the commodities they regularly purchase, but finding suppliers to help them meet new sustainability initiatives is much harder.
So how can you take advantage of this growing market? Starting in November, a new feature on Ariba Discovery will help you showcase your green initiatives. By providing a quick, simple way to promote your green capabilities to potential customers, this new tool gives you a great way to differentiate your business from non-green competitors and increase sales.
What Green Capabilities Can I Promote?
The new feature allows you to describe your green capabilities in any of five general areas:
- Plan: Select this option if your company has a written plan documenting how you currently or will address and implement sustainable business practices.
- Products and Services: If your business sells products and/or services that reduce harmful environmental impacts in measureable ways, this is the option for you.
- Energy: Choose this category if your company is pursuing initiatives in energy efficiency and/or renewable energy.
- Carbon: If your organization participates in carbon reporting, carbon reduction, and/or carbon offsetting to reduce your carbon footprint, you qualify for this category.
- Transportation: If your business is making efforts to increase efficiency in transportation and logistics and/or fleet management, select this option.
To use the new feature, simply log in to your account at discovery.ariba.com and click on "Manage Your Profile." Go to the "Edit Profile" screen and select the "Diversity & Green" tab, then click on "Green Initiatives." From there you can select any of the categories for which your business qualifies. That's all there is to it! (Keep in mind that individual customers may require you to provide specific credentials, certifications, or paperwork to support the green capabilities you're promoting.)
Where Can I Learn More?
To obtain more information about the new green feature, contact me at jrosen@ariba.com..
