HomeResearch & Knowledgeback to HomeSustainabilityback to Research & KnowledgeTrendy fashion company: Sustainability in supply chain operationsback to Sustainability

Case Study

Trendy fashion company: Sustainability in supply chain operations

By Ralf W. Seifert and Yara Kayyali El Alem

2 pages

July 2023

Order this case study

Reference: IMD-7-2481

The newly appointed Senior Vice President of Trendy needs to put its supply chain on a more sustainable footing for the future. Trendy is an imaginary fast fashion company with a market base in Europe and a global supply chain. Core themes and actions that improve both sustainability targets and/or operational performance are discussed in the case. For sustainability, these include waste reduction, sustainability accounting, and partnerships with suppliers and eco-labels. For operational improvements, these include changing the manufacturing footprint, digitalizing the supply chain, and reducing the product portfolio. The case examines improving sustainability on Scopes 1, 2, and 3. While the case setting is in the fast fashion industry, lessons provided by this case are applicable to many industries seeking to improve their operational sustainability. The case challenges students to bring together different elements of the supply chain course to meet the objective of having more sustainable practices and achieving better operational performance.

Learning Objective

Identify core themes that improve sustainability performance of a firm
Identify core themes that improve operational performance of a firm
Account for all firm emissions including those of Scope 3
Understand the roles of third parties (suppliers, partnerships, …) in the sustainability performance of a firm

Keywords

Operations, Sustainability, Green Operations, Accounting, Emission Reduction, Portfolio Analysis, Responsible Consumption, Responsible Production, Climate Action, Goal Partnerships

Settings

World/global
Trendy (fictional), Consumer Goods, Apparel and Fashion

Type

Generalized Experience

Available Languages

English

Related material

Teaching note

IMD case studies are distributed through case clearing houses. In order to browse the collection and purchase copies please visit the links below.

The Case Centre

Cranfield University

Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]

Harvard Business School Publishing

60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]

Asia Pacific Case Center

NUCB Business School

1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]

IMD retains all proprietary interests in its case studies and notes. Without prior written permission, IMD cases and notes may not be reproduced, used, translated, included in books or other publications, distributed in any form or by any means, stored in a database or in other retrieval systems. For additional copyright information related to case studies, please contact Case Services.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Keep reading

Article

Opportunities for Consumers - Negative Electricity Prices

Subsidies of renewables has led to electricity prices frequently falling to less than zero leading to opportunities for consumers

Sustainability

By Robert Earle and Karl Schmedders

in I by IMD

Article

AI for sustainability - Industrial Use Case - Cedrik Neike

AI is revolutionising industry by improving efficiency and driving sustainability. Discover how data-driven insights shape a greener future

Artificial Intelligence Sustainability

By Cedrik Neike

in I by IMD

Article

Responsible Leadership - Integrity & Authenticity

Discover a framework for Responsible Leadership, guiding you to lead with care and ethics in an increasingly turbulent and complex world.

Board Business Ethics Leadership Sustainability

By Mias de Klerk

in I by IMD

Case Study

Boosting and sustaining operational excellence

The case explores the principles and challenges of operational excellence through the experience of Magdi Batato, former EVP of Operations at Nestlé. It examines how he implemented Mission-Directed Work Teams (MDWTs) to empower front-line workers,...

Change Management Digital Operations

By Luis Vivanco, Carlos Cordon and Magdi Batato

Case Study

DSS+: Carving out a sustainability consulting leader

Finance Entrepreneurship Sustainability

By Benoit F. Leleux, Giorgio Pignalosa, Larissa Margot Bieler, Mojisola Onabanjo Akinkunmi and Nicolas Campodonico

Article

Are you building a biodiversity strategy? A five-step guide

The need to protect nature is a challenge for all companies. But do you know the potential business benefits of a successful biodiversity strategy? Take this short quiz to test your knowledge of the issue, and read on for a five-step guide to gett...

Sustainability

By Julia Katharina Binder, Adrian Dellecker and Aurélie V. Stamm

in I by IMD Brain Circuits

24 February 2025

Article

Managing Multiple Role Identities - Family Enterprise

Leaders of family firms are struggling with multiple role identities, and poor board management is putting the future of family enterprises at risk.

Corporate Governance Family Business Operations Organizational Behavior Organizational Culture

By Alfredo De Massis, Cristina Bettinelli, Manisha Singal and John Davis

in I by IMD

Article

Do you know the 5 steps to make money on sustainability?

Leaders, strategists, and decision-makers can play a pivotal role in integrating sustainability into business strategies – and make money in the process. Knut Haanaes, Bryony Jansen van Tuyll, and Øystein D. Fjeldstad outline five steps to make it...

Sustainability

By Knut Bjarne Haanaes, Bryony Jansen van Tuyll and Øystein D. Fjeldstad

in I by IMD Brain Circuits

17 February 2025

Responsible Leadership - Integrity & Authenticity

By Mias de Klerk
in I by IMD

Summary

Discover a framework for Responsible Leadership, guiding you to lead with care and ethics in an increasingly turbulent and complex world.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Board

Business Ethics

Leadership

Sustainability

Browse all topics

Boosting and sustaining operational excellence

By Luis Vivanco Carlos Cordon and Magdi Batato
Case reference: IMD-2653 ©2025

Summary

Reference IMD-2653

Organization Nestlé

Industry Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage;Consumer Goods

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Change Management

Digital

Operations

Browse all topics

DSS+: Carving out a sustainability consulting leader

By Benoit F. Leleux Giorgio Pignalosa Larissa Margot Bieler Mojisola Onabanjo Akinkunmi and Nicolas Campodonico
Case reference: IMD-7-2639 ©2025

Summary

The case examines the entrepreneur-led carve out and buyout of dss+, DuPont’s safety and sustainability consulting division, by Gyrus Capital and dss+ management team. dss+ (formerly “DuPont Sustainable Solutions”) played a pivotal role in high-risk industries such as oil, gas, and chemicals, providing critical consulting services at a time when global regulatory pressure on operational safety and sustainability was intensifying. Gyrus Capital, a mid-market private equity specialist, came together with the management team to engineer the buyout, based on the firm’s strong and predictable revenue streams, long-term client relationships and specialized expertise in safety and sustainability consulting. What emerged out of the 2019 transaction was an independent sustainability consulting powerhouse with over 1,500 consultants around the world. By 2024, dss+ was still expanding rapidly in terms of staff and domains of expertise, not to mention geography, and had to respond to quickly evolving external and internal demands, with clients increasingly expected to be served globally on a full range of sustainability-related services. With a strong sense of purpose (saving lives and creating a sustainable future), a potent pitch line (Protect. Transform. Sustain), over 750 clients on 1,800 projects across 41 countries, a global team of 1,500 people and plenty of organic growth across 7 core industries, the company was clearly heading for the stars. Yet, new questions loomed: Was it time to start managing that wild growth, deepening competitive advantages and building functional moats? How would dss+ remain competitive? Was it time to put a few new initiatives on high octane fuel: Leadership? Digital transformation? Global growth? Some totally new ideas?

Reference IMD-7-2639

Organization dss+, Gyrus Capital, Inflexion

Industry Services, Environmental Services;Healthcare, Health and Medical Services;Services, Public Safety;Business Management Services, Consultancy

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Finance

Entrepreneurship

Sustainability

Browse all topics