Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Learning from the German Automotive Industry

This book presents the current causes and effects of implementing sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) as well as green supply chain management (GSCM) strategies in the automotive industry. The reader is provided a detailed scientific review on SSCM and GSCM and presented the advantages of sustainable development concepts as well as factors causing the implementation of SSCM such as buyers’ behavior, governmental regulations, and competitiveness. The book then analyses the current situation of SSCM development, particularly in the automotive industry. It shows challenges, barriers, successes, and benefits that automotive companies obtain from implementing GSCM. Through case studies on leading German car manufacturers VW, BMW, and Daimler, the necessary activities of these companies to implement green development in the entire supply chain, including green supplier selection, green materials, green transportation, and reverse logistics, are defined. Moreover, a benchmark with companies from Asian markets such as Toyota from Japan and Geely from China is performed.

Minh Trang Rausch-Phan is currently working as a product support manager at Arrow Central Europe GmbH, a Germany-based manufacturer of electronic products and services. She graduated with a Master of International Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the International School of Management in Frankfurt (Germany), as well as a Master of Management from the Edinburgh Napier University (Scotland). During her master’s thesis, she researched sustainable and green supply chain management focusing on the German automotive industry. In her career she has also gained experience in logistics processes in the food and electronics industries.

Patrick Siegfried is Professor of Supply Chain Management and Logistics at the International School of Management in Frankfurt (Germany). He also holds a guest professorship for entrepreneurship at the Szent István University in Gödöllö (Hungary). He has professional experience as a CEO of various logistics companies and as a commercial manager for an international distribution center. His research focuses on strategic management and innovation management in startups.