Avaliação social de cadeias de fornecimento: método baseado na abordagem do QFD e aplicação na avaliação de nanocristais de celulose

Abstract

For the development of sustainable products is essential to consider the impacts along the life cycle under the three spheres of sustainability. However, the inclusion of social aspects in product design is still limited, due to the absence of available methodologies for professionals involved in the product development. This work studies the feasibility of considering the social aspects of the Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) in product design. Therefore, we developed a method based on Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to analyze the social variables involved in the management process of the supply chain. First was identified in which phase of QFD application would be possible: after having been found that the identification of potential materials to be used in the product. The steps that comprise the method are: The four steps that comprise the method: i) selection of materials with higher potential to cause negative social impact; ii) selection criteria for the suppliers assessment; iii) suppliers Assessment and iv) the evaluation of the social improvement of each supplier. The proposed method was tested for the product development of cellulose nanowhiskers, which showed that the same is applicable to the scope of the case study, involving a few processes in the supply chain. From the application of the method was possible to classify the social profiles of the best suppliers and the identification of the worst social profiles, according to hierarchical criteria based on the organization's sustainability strategy. The three suppliers evaluated in the case study had very similar social profile as well, organizational level and social context. The development of step IV, the potential improvement of these potential suppliers have, from simulations of changes in the social profile of the organization that should occur due to the introduction of the product in the value chain. The simulations of these changes were done in short, medium and long term. Improving evaluated for the three selected suppliers in step III is strongly related to the scope of the basic requirement in subcategories of the stakeholders workers, simulated as an social profile to be achieved in the short term. Thus, the method supports decision making on the inclusion of social organizations with low profile performance in the value chain, but there is need to establish means to ensure that improvements occur.