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Descartes Systems Group (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX) hit a milestone of 35,000 connections on its federated Global Logistics Network (the "GLN"). Descartes' GLN is a cloud-based technology platform comprised of a dense trading network and application services, used by organizations seeking to optimize their operations. Companies that connect to Descartes' GLN are able to collaborate with their trading partners using one technology platform, significantly reducing operational costs and accelerating time-to-value.

Descartes' strategy is focused on uniting trading partners and connecting them through one federated network, allowing for easy communication, collaboration and access to application services. Descartes' GLN is the technology platform that enables organizations and global trading partners to connect and collaborate in a secure and reliable way. Last month, Descartes hit a milestone of 35,000 connections on its GLN.

“Collaboration” is a supply chain buzzword that people often talk about in theory but rarely implement in practice. And yet smart organizations have found big payoffs in collaborations that not only share costs and risks but also rewards.

Business attitudes across the globe — jarred by the European sovereign debt crisis, sagging consumer confidence and continuing market fluctuations — are vacillating between confidence and caution, and volatility is likely to remain a permanent feature of the global business environment. While the financial crisis revealed key vulnerabilities of an interconnected global economy, it has also provided a needed catalyst in helping organizations create more dynamic, resilient and responsive supply chains to. A clear majority of leading industrial companies still see cost as their main priority while managing supply chains, despite emerging evidence that excessive focus on cost has damaged relationships. A majority of the leading industrial manufacturing companies have created supply chain models that appropriately balance agility, sensitivity to risk, quality and cost. They plan to enter into more long-term contracts with fewer suppliers — with cost being the key driver for much of the collaboration. Read our report to find out how leading companies are adapting their business models and employing new supply chain tactics to manage risk while capitalizing on opportunities.

In part one of this article, (here) I laid out the business case for carbon foot-printing your supply network. Part two identifies practical steps of where to begin, followed by suggestions to ensure lasting success.

Start by recognizing and measuring the environmental areas (such as GHG / carbon emissions, energy use, waste and water consumption, and use of other natural resources) to get a baseline. This can be done internally or by working with a third party partner or specialized sustainability consulting firm on an environmental and/or carbon footprint assessment. I have seen many organizations set up internal "Green Teams" or eco-working groups to begin looking at measuring their company's carbon footprint. The most important part of this process is engaging both your employees as well as your suppliers. Carbon management is a team effort. It takes collaboration, transparent communication, and a willingness to see the greater benefits for everyone involved.