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Transforming supply chains

8 July 2019

InfraBuild’s Rob Johnson and David McNeil joined industry leaders to bring focus to innovations in supply chain transparency as a best practice contributor in sustainable development.

“Focus on the urgency of the task, place systemic thinking and partnerships at the centre of your strategy and keep your eyes on the horizon.”

These were the overarching messages heard at the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) Transform 2019 conference, held in Sydney in March.

Over 400 delegates participated in panel discussions and keynote presentations from national and international experts, including InfraBuild’s (formerly LIBERTY OneSteel) Rob Johnson and David McNeil, to learn about the innovations and trends shaping the green building industry and to discuss ways to promote global action on climate change, urban planning and sustainable infrastructure.

GBCA Head of Public Affairs and Membership Jonathan Cartledge said: “Australian industry is a global leader when it comes to sustainability in the built environment. By learning more about global innovations and offering Australia’s expertise, we can create new ways to boost sustainability, social responsibility and liveability outcomes.”

InfraBuild Customer and Market Relationship Manager Rob Johnson joined a panel including leaders from GBCA and Nestle to discuss the importance of supply chain efficiency.

Integrated supply chain

According to Rob, “InfraBuild’s fully integrated supply chain model gives our customers confidence that the product delivered will meet project specifications and design intent – we have transparency and traceability over each aspect of our supply chain.

“It’s important to have a holistic, sustainable view of supply chains,” Rob said. “At InfraBuild we are very aware of different issues at play – including making sure we know where all of our material is sourced from, which is key to maintaining a robust supply chain.” 

Data key to supply chain management 

InfraBuild’s David McNeil, chair of the Technology Committee at the Australian Logistics Council, joined sustainability leaders from Westpac, Ausbil, the Property Council of Australia and the Australian Logistics Council for a panel discussion on best practice tools and technologies in supply chain management. These leading-edge technologies bring benefits in transport management planning and increasing visibility over the lifecycle of products to inform future product innovation. 

“Data is the key to supply chain management – we have adapted a very simple idea to maximise our ability to track our product from creation to delivery on-site,” David said. “We tag our steel bundles with the same kind of barcode you would see in a supermarket. And by adapting existing technology we can tap into data like GPS tracking and work with our clients to make the process more efficient and save money.” 

Announcing the GBCA’s 2019 policy calling for all parties to endorse measures to elevate sustainability in the delivery and design of buildings, communities and cities, Jonathan Cartledge said: “A liveable and sustainable built environment is not only essential to Australia’s economic prosperity but also plays a major role in reducing our carbon emissions, raising productivity and improving the health and wellbeing of citizens.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our buildings is one of the most efficient, cost-effective ways to reduce emissions at scale and help with meeting our international obligations.”

Courtesy Tim da Rin

The Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) Transform 2019 conference, sponsored by InfraBuild and other major participants in the construction supply chain, is designed to inspire industry professionals to strive towards innovation in sustainability. InfraBuild recognises the need for transparency about the environmental performance of its supply chain and products, and has published five Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) that comply with the requirements of a valid EPD recognised in the Green Star Design Rating Tool (GBCA) and the IS® Rating Tool (Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia).

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