In philosophy, receptivity refers to a specific disposition which encompasses both active and passive capacities. Receptivity involves both passively perceiving, and actively responding to the perception. Being receptive means being both attentive and attending. A quick example might make this seem less philosophically abstract: I’m attentive towards my sister and recognize that she is hurt in some way because she is crying. I attend to her being hurt by trying to console her. I both passively perceive that she is feeling bad, and I actively respond to that by trying to make her feel better.
Now, what does this have to do with SCM? To build sustainable and responsible supply chains, we need to structure them in ways that make it easy to uphold ethical compliance issues, and mitigate negative social impacts. That is, we need to build receptive supply chains, that are both attentive to ethical risks, such as forced labor, and actively attend to reducing these risks. On its own, supply chain transparency provides only the passive perception of problems, but we also need increased supply chain control, so that we can actively respond to adverse human rights or environmental impacts.
Taking a comprehensive view like this makes due diligence processes even more pressing. Not only do they facilitate risk assessment, but also risk mitigation, it incorporates the same two-step active-passive process as receptivity. Incorporating ethical ideals into due diligence makes this process even more powerful. Ensuring that the business is not only receptive to the direct criteria of due diligence litigation, but to ethical problems as a whole, will ensure that company strategy is a pioneer in what can be expected from an effective compliance process. This makes the continual improvement processes inherent in due diligence all the more powerful for securing human rights for all, and combating climate change.
Within SCM we need to keep in mind the capacity for receptivity and the due diligence process at all parts of planning and activity within the supply chain. Integrating receptivity makes supply chains more agile in responding to adverse impacts. By keeping in mind, the due diligence process, supply chains can be structured and managed to be receptive, so that risk perception, assessment, and mitigation, can all be as effective as possible. We need supply chains that are attentive to ethical issues, and that can attend to mitigating and solving these.
Orixe is based on a comprehensive approach. We want to create receptive supply chains that can perceive issues, both economic and social, through supply chain transparency, and that can respond to this, by providing powerful tools for action, such as effective auditing procedures. Begin building supply chain receptivity today!