Nedlin Most Sustainable Supplier Radboudumc

At the end of last year, the final of Most Sustainable Supplier 2019 took place at the Radboudumc in Nijmegen. Nedlin was up against four strong candidates, and got the most votes from the professional jury and the public. It is truly an award to be proud of.

Radboudumc challenges suppliers

It is not easy to become the most sustainable supplier at the Radboudumc. Two hundred companies were invited to participate in this first edition. These suppliers were all asked to complete a comprehensive sustainability scan. The academic hospital received completed scans from 75 suppliers. Next, five winners were chosen for each category, who would then compete for the title of Most Sustainable Supplier of 2019. Quite the challenge!

“When we were invited to take part, we didn’t hesitate for a second. Sustainability is an essential spearhead for Nedlin and this competition was the perfect opportunity for us to show how important it is to us,”, says Andrea Meuwissen – Commercial Manager Nedlin Healthcare. “Whenever it’s time to make a choice, Nedlin keeps sustainability in mind. We are a family business, so we’re always looking ahead. It’s important to think things through properly, for the future of our company, but also for future generations. Being chosen as Most Sustainable Supplier of a leading academic hospital like Radboudumc is a perfect opportunity to showcase this.”

Proof

Firstly, all participants were asked to complete a sustainability scan. This scan was so comprehensive, that it soon became clear that you only had a chance if sustainability is deeply rooted in your organisation. All claims have to be backed up with proof. The participants had to upload proof in the scan to show how they deal with the various challenges in the field of sustainability. Not only within the organisation, but also in the complete chain.

“Completing the scan took enormous effort from our participants. Fortunately, I received the feedback that it also helped them to gain insight into their sustainable ambitions and think about how they wanted to really embed these ambitions in their business operations”, said Alex van der Putten of the Radboudumc during the award ceremony. They divided the suppliers into five categories and then evaluated them.

Sustainability program

In 2018, Nedlin established Sustainability Program, with an overview of all the ambitions and goals of the organisation. Furthermore, the employees and management have been grouped in project teams, and the company goes through a CSR cycle twice a year. This way we really get results, and sustainability is an important subject at all levels of the organisation. Thanks to the output of these projects and the Sustainability Program, a lot of proof could be provided during the scan. Still, it took a lot of effort to provide and substantiate the requested documents. Earlier, this had already resulted in Nedlin being declared the winner in the Facility category.

Final five pitches

In the end, five finalists had the chance to give their pitch. Besides Nedlin, the other finalists were renowned companies like Assa Abloy, HP Inc., Mölnlycke and Sysmex. During the seminar Sustainability & Innovation at the hospital, there were a number of interesting speakers, but of course everyone was waiting for the award ceremony with healthy tension. During the pitches, it became clear that all the candidates care about sustainability and that they belonged in the final. After the professional jury and the public had voted, Nedlin was declared the winner, and we now have the privilege of calling ourselves the first Most Durable Supplier of the Radboudumc.

“We care a lot about this award. Since we had to provide proof for everything, it is an award which has really allowed us to show that sustainability is a priority for Nedlin. Radboudumc has a clear-cut sustainable ambition, and we are very pleased that we can support them in this. This makes us extra proud to be the first winner of this award”, says Meuwissen.

Read more about our ambitions on our sustainability page.