Strategizing Sustainability: Aligning Goals, Overcoming Resistance, and Harnessing Gamification for Global Supply Chain Solutions

About the company:

This case will have, as the main character, a big player in the global supply chain solutions. This provider operates in over 60 countries, catering to diverse industries such as consumer goods, fresh food, beverage, manufacturing, and retail. The company plays a crucial role in the fresh food supply chain and offers logistical expertise to the automotive sector.

The primary challenge: 

The journey between 2030 Builders and the company began with a focus on improving communication about sustainability features to commercial teams. Two primary stakeholders emerged—one from marketing aiming to educate the commercial team, and another the sustainability department, recognizing a lack of employee awareness despite the company’s high sustainability ranking. 

Aligning the objectives of these stakeholders proved challenging, leading to the realization that progress required a systematic and ongoing process. Here, 2030 Builders emphasized the misconception some customers companies had about achieving culture change with a single training session, stressing the importance of managing expectations and aligning goals. Adjustments to the pricing model and positioning became necessary after the initial iteration, highlighting the importance of not overcommitting. Employee resistance surfaced, with sustainability seen as a burdensome task rather than a source of pride. 

The solution:

2030 Builders emphasized the importance to embrace gamification for learning and underscored the effectiveness of play-based learning. The role of ambassadors or stakeholders deploying the tool emerged as pivotal in how content was received within the organization. 

Language barriers were recognized, with higher engagement rates observed when content was translated into a native language. 2030 Builders expressed hope for positive client testimonials based on key learnings and emphasized the need to limit iteration setups.  

Three overarching lessons emerged from the conversation: always align on goals and expectations, plan for the next step, and carefully choose the ambassador for the tool within the organization. 

The dialogue provides a comprehensive look at the complexities of implementing sustainability initiatives, touching on stakeholder alignment, employee resistance, gamification, language barriers, and the importance of testimonials and lessons learned in shaping a successful sustainability strategy within a corporate context.