Workshop (D4)

The Carillion Supply Chain Conference 2016 was themed, by the SC-D, to ‘focus on the challenges faced in sustainable and ethical procurement’. It was a Carillion SC team conference and not open to suppliers or other external groups. Issues that had relevance for procurement teams were covered by internal presentations from Carillion staff; topics such as Forest Stewardship (FSC) timber, the Carillion 2020 Sustainability Strategy, environmental incidents and fines, modern slavery and by an external speaker from the Supply Chain School, of which Carillion was a board member. The SC-D offered the researcher the opportunity to engage directly with the supply chain team. Whilst this had not been envisaged as part of the original research plan this additional engagement would allow the researcher to explore in greater depth, topics examined in the online survey. The methods selected for the workshop had to meet criteria set by SC-D; that research must be through interactive participation and that the workshop had to increase staff knowledge. All findings were to be collated and produced as a short briefing note for circulation to participants following the event. The design and research objectives, however, were to be defined by the researcher.

The conference was attended by 74 participants of whom the majority were supply chain team members. This included Infrastructure, Building and Sky Blue (a group who supported staff requirements across the company), and those working on Joint Ventures. It also incorporated category management staff, who were considered part of the ‘procurement job family’. Additional participants were:

a) Carillion CCS finance: 1 person b) Carillion HS&S: 2 people

c) Corporate admin support: 1 person d) Carillion legal team: 2 people

There were 49 male participants (70%), 21 females (30%). No age data was collected but visual analysis suggested the majority of attendees were 45-64.

99 The interactive workshop was designed to illuminate a research category that had been highlighted during semi structured interviews, Carillion documentation and the pre- conference survey. This was to understand the knowledge of the supply chain team about the social and environment impacts associated their work. The interactive element of the group working was created by the researcher, following a brief discussion with a member of the CES academic team. All materials were produced by the researcher and were reviewed by the conference organising group to ensure they met the conference requirements. No changes were made

Workshop Structure:

a) Introduction to Lifecycle thinking

b) Action 1: The sustainability impacts of procured materials and supply chain comprehension: small groups working together (8 tables of 6-9 people per table) a) Action 2: Embodied Carbon Exercise: individual contribution

a) Introduction

The researcher provided a three-minute visual presentation “The Lifecycle of a Pencil”, to ensure all participants were engaged with lifecycle thinking prior to the start of the exercises. The presentation considered the components of a pencil, the life stages it underwent and the environmental and social impacts at different life stages (See Appendix 3h, Figure 57).

b) Action 1: The sustainability impacts of procured materials and supply chain comprehension.

Table groups were self- selected and at the start of the workshop an ice breaker exercise was carried out. Cards had been prepared that highlighted a construction material and a simple impact related to it (see Appendix 1, Appendix: 3h Workshop materials (D4)

100 Participants needed to link the product with the impact. This engendered interaction between team members and was quick to complete. The researcher walked between groups and it was clear that the cards generated discussion.

Immediately following these lively debates each table was provided with a sample of one of the following products which they would be ‘buying’:

1. A high-density concrete block

2. A miniature example of a plywood form (structure into which concrete is poured)

3. A solar powered light

4. Cordless drill with carbide dust extracting bit 5. A cordless, telescopic LED work light

Products had been selected to offer complex multi-component items and simpler mono or minimal component goods. The S-BU requested samples from manufacturers, explaining the way in which they would be used and additionally requesting product information sheets. Any data sheets provided were available to the teams during the exercise.

Each table was provided with an A2 printed feedback sheet (Appendix 3h, Figure 55) and a set of issue cards (Appendix 3h,

Figure 56). Both sets of materials had been developed and designed by the researcher. Sustainability ‘issues’ had been selected through analysis of academic and industry literature, client KPIs, and Carillion sustainability targets. Teams were asked to consider the product they were ‘purchasing’ and to rank the sustainability issues in order of impact. They were asked to note their ranking on the feedback sheet. For the top three issues selected, each team then discussed how this related to the product they were ‘buying’ and its supply chain, the opportunities and the barriers to be addressed. Teams were given 40 minutes to complete these tasks. The level of engagement with the task was high, it generated debate and several teams felt that it had finished ‘too early’. All Feedback sheets were completed, many with extensive notes and comments.

101 Notes were also taken by the researcher who visited tables as the exercise was being undertaken.

c) Action 2: Embodied Carbon Exercise

Following this work all attendees at the conference completed one further task. They were asked to consider the carbon embodied in three simplified life stages (pre-operation, construction, in use) of a building and a bridge (Appendix 3h, Figure 58). For the purposes of this exercise demolition was highlighted, but not included due to the minimal impact noted in the academic literature. Participants were provided with the expected length of life of each structure. They were asked to write on sticky labels the percentage of CO2 emissions they

believed occurred at each of the three life stages and to place these on the relevant sections of the life cycle sheets provided. Most people did this exercise without discussion, but a few small groups formed in front of the life cycle sheets and debated the outcomes: thirty two participants completed this exercise. All worksheets and lifecycle sheets were collected at the end of the conference. Text was transcribed and uploaded to MAXQDA for analysis. Data from the lifecycle sheets was collated and compared to existing life cycle literature.