Collaboration in supply chains is most often interpreted in a vertical dimension, that is, through the prism of the relationship between supplier and customer, and less frequently in a horizontal dimension, by analyzing relationships between competitors and other participants in the chain. It is emphasized that only a combination of these two dimensions of collaboration can be a source of significant benefits, and the scope and areas of potential cooperation among supply chain participants are almost unlimited.
Collaboration in supply chains is based on a shared vision, an understanding of the individual role of each participant, the ability to act together, and a readiness to adapt in order to create additional value for the customer. The creation of this additional value as an important goal of supply chain collaboration is emphasized by many authors. Examples of sources for achieving benefits for the customer are also mentioned, such as the reduction of time and costs incurred by the customer, and the improvement of reliability and timeliness of deliveries. But added value for the customer can also be the reduction of pollution and the harmful impact of individual processes in the supply chain on the natural environment, because “pollution is a form of economic loss and is proof that certain resources have been used in an incomplete, inefficient, or ineffective manner. Furthermore, enterprises must then take additional steps that generate costs but do not create value for the customer.”
The importance of collaboration is also emphasized in the concept of “green” supply chains, in which the main goal is considered to be “the integration of all value-added operations… in such a way that all activities related to individual processes have the least possible harmful impact on the natural environment.” Collaboration thus becomes a necessary condition for creating an environmentally friendly supply chain, in which all its participants should influence each other and encourage the implementation of eco-friendly products, services, operations, or initiatives.
Eco-friendly initiatives of seaports
The growth in international trade turnover observed in recent years, and consequently the increase in cargo handling in seaports, has drawn attention to the level of pollution emitted as a result of port activities. Research shows that seaports can actively participate in creating environmentally friendly supply chains by reducing their negative impact on the environment (reducing carbon dioxide emissions, fuel and water consumption, and limiting noise). The special role of ports as transport hubs through which most of the world’s trade turnover passes (about 90% of trade is carried out by sea) enables them to have a real influence on other participants in the supply chain. Hence, many seaports around the world are currently implementing programs to prevent environmental pollution. They differ in scale and scope of impact on the environment, and the reasons for their implementation also vary. From the point of view of supply chain collaboration, the initiatives of seaports presented below are particularly interesting, as they are not limited only to the port territory but affect other service providers in the chain. These initiatives include, among others, three programs implemented in the state of California: Clean Trucks Program, Speed Reduction Program, and Vessel Main Engine Fuel Incentive Program, which are part of the state program for the San Pedro Bay (ports: Los Angeles, San Diego, and Long Beach) called the Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), introduced in November 2006, aimed at reducing environmental pollution in this region.
Clean Trucks Program. The primary goal of the program is to reduce exhaust emissions from trucks and cargo handling equipment by more than 80% within 5 years. Starting from October 2008, all vehicles with a production year earlier than 1988 are not allowed to enter the ports. According to the program’s assumptions, subsequent age groups of vehicles that do not meet the USEPA 2007 standard will be gradually denied entry to the port by the end of 2012. Road haulers can renew their fleet thanks to a special assistance program developed by the port, amounting to 2 billion USD. The source of funding for the program is an additional fee imposed on every container passing through the port (35 USD for a twenty-foot container or smaller, and 70 USD for others). The program was not accepted by carriers, who, together with the American Trucking Association representing their interests, made an unsuccessful attempt to challenge it in court.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 4/2009.