Novel ergonomics indicator-based approach for evaluating a supplier organization's sustainable process performance

Area of Science:

• Supply Chain Management
• Sustainability Science
• Ergonomics

Background:

• Focal firms face increasing accountability for supply chain deficiencies.
• Traditional supplier audits often rely on simplistic, dichotomous ratings.
• There is a need for a more nuanced approach to evaluating supplier sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel method for assessing supplier sustainability performance using ergonomics principles.
• To develop an interval-scale-based evaluation scheme for supplier organizations.
• To support focal firms in integrating sustainable and resilient processes into supplier evaluations.

Main Methods:

• Integration of twenty-five ergonomics indicators (EIs) across economic, ecological, and social dimensions.
• Analysis of data from 38 Pakistani supplier organizations.
• Development of a composite sustainable performance score and a visual performance scorecard.

Main Results:

• The economic dimension was more frequently measured than ecological and social dimensions by the surveyed organizations.
• Ergonomics indicators were mapped to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), showing broad relevance.
• A performance scorecard was designed for organization-to-organization comparisons.

Conclusions:

• Ergonomics principles offer an effective framework for continuum ratings in supplier audits.
• The proposed method enhances the assessment of supplier sustainability performance.
• The approach aids focal firms in evaluating sustainable and resilient supplier practices.