Our Approach
Three pillars guide our internal and external interactions and help define a meaningful path forward for Avendra in our quest to be a good corporate citizen.
We recognize the role we play within our customers’ supply chains and seek to balance the environmental, social and economic needs and restraints within those supply chains.
Aside from trying to have a positive impact on the supply chains we are involved in, we focus on supporting our associate’s health and wellbeing, ensuring our own internal operations have a light footprint on our planet and its societies as well as getting involved in our local communities.
Avendra has a unique position in the hospitality procurement market. Leveraging that position to bring various stakeholders together and creating a space for creative collaboration is a priority for Avendra as we think about the future for our people and planet.
Our 2017-2021 Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy is built around these guiding principles. More details can be found here
Principled and Powerful Sourcing
Principled and Powerful Sourcing is the cornerstone of our business strategy. As a services company focused on procurement and supply chain services, Avendra’s most significant impact revolves around suppliers/supply chain and the priority products/services that we deliver to clients.
Focusing on Material Categories: We focus on driving sustainability within product categories that have highest environmental and social impacts which we can positively influence.
With so many products and services procured through the Avendra network, each having different environmental and social impacts, we strive to focus on pushing sustainability within key categories that are most material to our business and that we can influence most effectively.
Ensuring Integrity: In all of our interactions with customers, suppliers, associates and other constituencies, integrity is at the forefront of our approach to business.
Integrity is essential to all of Avendra’s dealings. We have thus put in place a range of programs to ensure the highest levels of integrity are upheld, such as the Avendra’s Business Conduct Guide, which clearly lays out expectations from our associates. We also maintain an independently managed Ethics Hotline that allows for anonymous incident reporting. By clearly outlining expectations from our associates, putting processes in place to facilitate adherence to those expectations and ensuring there are independent, transparent protocols in place for ongoing monitoring, we create a strong foundation for success.
Integrating Sustainability into our Procurement Process: Our procurement associates are the champions driving sustainability within the supply chains they manage.
Our procurement team is the main conduit to suppliers and their respective value chains. Avendra works to educate and empower our contracting associates to be able to assess and drive sustainability within their respective contracts to try to mitigate potential risks within the supply chains we are responsible for.
Encouraging Suppliers to Do Better: We encourage and assist suppliers in their efforts to be more socially and environmentally responsible as well as make their products and services more sustainable.
We encourage our suppliers to balance environmental, social and economic considerations in their businesses and supply chains. We require a sustainability policy from all our suppliers as well as have various processes in place that push for more social and environmental responsibility. We also assist suppliers to further their sustainability efforts and promote what they do.
Assisting Customers with Their Goals: We work with customers to help them meet their corporate social responsibility and sustainability goals where it relates to the procurement of their products and services.
Customers have a wide range of corporate social responsibility priorities that influence and be influenced by procurement. Avendra works with customers to identify those needs and assists by identifying relevant environmental and social responsibility opportunities, from contracting for more sustainable products to developing reporting that can be used to benchmark and track sustainability initiatives.
See how we work on these various elements through our current CSR strategy.
Bettering Ourselves and Our Communities
Aside from trying to have a positive impact on the supply chains we are involved in, we focus on supporting our associates’ health and wellbeing, ensuring that our own internal operations have a light footprint on our planet and its societies as well as getting involved in our local communities.
Associates Health and Wellness: We encourage and support our associates to lead healthier lives.
Avendra has a Healthy Living Committee that leads efforts to help associates with health and wellness, ranging from stress reduction and mindfulness classes to fruit giveaway days and 5k runs. To learn more see here
Sustainable Internal Operations: We put efforts to minimize our internal footprint and be socially responsible.
Being environmentally and socially responsible is an important part of our culture and it extends beyond our interactions with customers and suppliers. In our own operations, we try to minimize the impact our business has on the environment and people by putting policies in place to help reduce waste and curb negative effects. We have an internal Sustainability Team that leads efforts to help the company be more sustainable.
Community Involvement: Our strategy for community involvement includes both company-defined programs and policies and associate-driven causes.
At Avendra, our associates take part in community programs such as food and supply drives for homeless shelters and fundraising for local charities. Our community programs give associates the chance to get to know their co-workers in a different capacity while experiencing the fulfillment that comes with giving back and helping others. See here for more information
See how we work on these various elements through our current CSR strategy
Taking Risks and Inspiring Change
Avendra has a unique position in the hospitality procurement market. Leveraging that position to bring various stakeholders together and creating a space for creative collaboration is a priority for Avendra as we think about the future for our people and planet.
We strive to leverage our unique position in the market to play a role in moving the global efforts towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals forward.
Our position as supply chain and procurement experts allows us to innovate in meaningful ways. The partnerships we have with our customers and suppliers create opportunities for collaborative sustainable decision making. We strive to create partnerships and efforts that contribute to the UN SDG within our sphere of influence. To learn more about the UN SDGs please see here: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
See how we work on these various elements through our current CSR strategy
