Responsible purchasing: transforming the IT supply chain

With nearly 4% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, the digital sector must transform its practices. This transformation does not only involve technology: the supply chain and responsible purchasing are also essential levers.

At ANSAM, we have chosen to assume this responsibility through our 2024 sustainability report and our commitment to B Corp certification. But we also wanted to go a step further by giving our experts a voice, through a series of testimonials in the form of 3 key questions to shed concrete light on the challenges of the digital transition.

Interview

Joari Dos Santos, Purchasing & Back Office Sales Manager, shares her experience of supply chain transformation in the IT sector.

Issues

The IT supply chain spans several continents, and remains difficult to make totally transparent. How can we reconcile responsiveness, performance and the integration of social and environmental criteria?

3 key questions

1. What are the major challenges currently facing responsible purchasing in the IT sector?
Integrating social and climate criteria without losing the responsiveness our customers expect. In IT, the supply chain is constantly being reconfigured: a server or laptop crosses several continents before reaching the end-user. By setting these criteria right from the supplier selection stage, we retain partners capable of documenting their commitments (CO₂ footprint, working conditions, product end-of-life) without sacrificing performance or lead times.

2. How are major tech suppliers responding to these challenges?
Industry giants are publishing net-zero roadmaps, and we're already seeing tangible advances: renewable-powered datacenters, plastic-free packaging, hardware take-back programs. However, transparency diminishes as we move up the value chain. Our role, on the purchasing side, is to support this movement by demanding verifiable indicators, and to focus our orders on the players who can deliver them.

3. What levers can be used to move purchasing practices towards greater sustainability?
Among the levers envisaged to move purchasing practices towards greater sustainability, several avenues stand out. Firstly, we could incorporate a CSR rating for suppliers, weighted at the same level as price and lead time. We could also promote the circular economy by giving priority to reconditioned equipment and including systematic take-back and/or recycling clauses in all equipment contracts. Finally, it is important to develop low-carbon logistics and component recycling by consolidating flows, using neutral carriers and using certified channels to recover rare metals at end-of-life.