“We’ve shifted from, “Let’s make the cheapest good possible,” to “Let’s change the nature of our relationship so that we’re also trying to improve environmental outcomes together.” — Shanley Harruthoonyan founder of ABLE ecosystems on better supply chain management
Click Here to Watch the Supply Chain Episode on YouTube
In our latest Environmental Podcast, we spoke with Shanley Harruthoonyan, founder of ABLE Ecosystems, a platform designed to bring transparency and communication to the forefront of supply chain management.
Shanley’s insights into the real issues, often-overlooked challenges, and exciting potential hidden within our supply chains. Plus, it turns out the real secret to building better supply chains? Building better relationships.
The Issue With Current Supply Chain Management
Traditional supply chains are often shrouded in a veil of invisibility, prioritizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness over ethical and sustainable practices. This transactional approach has led to a disconnect between brands and the people who grow their ingredients or manufacture their products.
“There’s been this kind of history of relationships and supply chains being transactional because there’s been a race to the bottom, because it’s been all about economics, you know?” – Shanley on typical supply chain management
Not only does the lack of transparency perpetuate harmful practices like, labor exploitation, environmental degradation, and lack of accountability, it creates an environment where farmers and manufacturers rarely get a voice in the larger conversation. Without that, we’re missing a crucial part of problem solving and building a better, more sustainable world.
Luckily, people are becoming increasingly aware and demanding more transparency from their favorite brands.
How ABLE Ecosystems is Shifting the Narrative
ABLE Ecosystems is tackling transparency issues by creating a digital supply chain management space for brands, suppliers, and farmers to connect and share critical data. The platform is focused on “the next best conversation” and is built to facilitate open communication and collaboration throughout the entire chain. The shared data fosters a sense of shared responsibility for problem solving and creating a more sustainable and equitable supply chain over all.
“We’re trying to be this safe space and this, digital container for better relationships to be built,” Shanley explains.
By empowering farmers and suppliers with a voice and providing them with tools to track and share their data, ABLE is shifting the power dynamic. This allows for a more nuanced and human-centric approach to supply chain management, where everyone involved is seen as a valuable partner.
Supply Chain Management & Storytelling
“[ABLE] has the power to tell a lot better and a lot more detailed stories by brands because you’re not just defaulting to, ‘Well, we’re this certification,’”
Obviously, one of our favorite aspects of ABLE Ecosystems is its potential to transform supply chain data into compelling stories. By giving brands access to detailed information about their suppliers and the origins of their products, ABLE enables them to craft authentic and engaging narratives that resonate with fans and customers!
If you’re trying to incorporate supply chain storytelling into your brand, here are a few tips:
- Share the whole journey. People love a hero’s journey, and they don’t expect you to show up perfect. They want to hear about how you’re improving and what you can do better on.
- Spotlight people throughout your supply chain. Share the real stories of the people involved throughout your supply chain because people love relatable stories told by people all over the world.
- Talk about your system. More than ever, people are curious about a brand’s supply chain management. They don’t just want to know that you’re doing the right thing, they want to see the data and understand your decisions.
Ready to craft your own sustainability story? Get our UnF*nk Your Marketing Checklist and start building a narrative that resonates and inspires action.
Connect with Shanley
To learn more about ABLE Ecosystems and Shanley’s vision for a more transparent and equitable supply chain, you can visit their website here: https://www.ableecosystems.com/ or connect with Shanley directly via email: shanley@ableecosystems.com
And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Youtube and wherever you listen to your podcasts. We post new episodes of EnvironMental with Dandelion on the first and third Wednesday of every month, and we write these blog articles to give an SEO backlink to our incredible guests.
We are still a content marketing agency after all, and our goal is to help impact brands by building the only marketing strategy they will ever need.