One of the world’s leading coffee chains, Starbucks boasts more than 25,000 stores across six continents. Having substantially increased its influence in China, the firm now operates over 3,500 branches in the country with plans to expand to 5,000 outlets by 2021. In 2008, Starbucks created a three-step supply chain transformation plan in a bid to realign and achieve significant success. It would reorganise and simplify its supply chain, cut costs and improve service while also to be more sustainable. This has subsequently led to Starbucks developing greener stores, rewarding customers that reuse cups, preserving water and reducing its environmental footprint.

Website: https://www.starbucks.com/

Revenue: US$24.7bn

Approx no. of employees: 291,000

HQ: Seattle, USA

Executive: Kevin Johnson, CEO

Featured in: Top 10 global supply chains

SAP Ariba is considered the go-to place for companies to connect and conduct business together. The leading global spend management network, SAP Ariba allows businesses to monitor spending and reduce costs by enabling buyers and suppliers to collaborate with each other. SAP Ariba’s spend management solutions allow firms to digitise and simplify processes through an end-to-end, single integrated platform in the cloud. Through the Ariba Network, buyers and suppliers from over 190 countries transact US$3trn in business commerce annually. The company ranked in first place in Supply Chain Digital’s top 10 software companies worldwide in the October issue.

Website: https://www.ariba.com/

Revenue: US$27.3bn

Approx no. of employees: 3,636

HQ: Palo Alto, USA

Executive: Darren Koch, Chief Product Officer

Featured in: Top 10 software companies worldwide

The beverage giants offers over 500 brands in more than 200 countries. With an established and extensive portfolio, Coca-Cola’s brands include its eponymous cola, Fanta, Sprite, Powerade and Minute Maid among many others. The company has firm sustainability objectives and featured in the top 10 largest sustainable supply chains worldwide in September. Coca-Cola aims to collect a bottle or can for every one it sells by 2030 and it’s working towards becoming greener through packaging initiatives. 

Website: https://www.coca-cola.com/

Revenue: US$31.9bn

Approx no. of employees: 62,600

HQ: Atlanta, USA

Executive: James Quincey, CEO

Featured in: Top 10 largest sustainable supply chains worldwide

As one of the largest manufacturers of athletic footwear and apparel, Nike is renowned for its product quality, innovative designs and unique marketing style. Nike’s products are manufactured in over 40 countries and it operates 525 factories worldwide. The company has a diverse network of suppliers and operates a smart, efficient and agile supply chain. In order to help achieve its sustainability ambitions, Nike opened its North America logistics campus in Memphis, Tennessee. The facility is set across 2.8mn sq ft and helps the company align to its sustainability endeavours as well as meeting customer demands.

Website: https://www.nike.com/xm/en_gb/

Revenue: US$34.3bn

Approx no. of employees: 73,100

HQ: Beaverton, USA

Executive: Mark Parker, CEO

Featured in: Top 10 global supply chains

The company specialises in consulting, strategy, technology and digital operations. Accenture works with clients to enable innovative supply chain strategies that drive profitable growth and cater to a variety of industries including the automotive, travel and energy sectors among many others. The firm prioritises sustainability and was recognised as the leading sustainable supply chain in September’s magazine. Kai Nowosel, Chief Procurement Officer at Accenture, commented: “With a multi-billion-dollar supply chain, Accenture has the purchasing power to drive positive change on a global scale, creating a more economically inclusive world and helping to shape the future of procurement. Our ambition is to shift the culture of buying both inside and outside Accenture, while generating long-term value for our clients, suppliers and communities.”

Website: https://www.accenture.com/us-en

Revenue: US$41.6bn

Approx no. of employees: 492,000

HQ: Dublin, Ireland

Executive: Julie Sweet, CEO

Featured in: Top 10 largest sustainable supply chains worldwide

Through its technology solutions, the tech giants play a major part in helping its customers to achieve a digital transformation. In recent years, Intel has transformed its own supply chain into a modern “glass pipeline” that improves decision-making capabilities and business agility. Powered through its integrated data platform (IDP), the system features SAP HANA as part of a significant $208mn investment strategy. Intel featured in March’s top 10 global supply chains.

Website: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/homepage.html

Revenue: US$70.8bn

Approx no. of employees: 110,200

HQ: Santa Clara, USA

Executive: Bob Swan, CEO

Featured in: Top 10 global supply chains

As one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies, Nestlé operates over 2,000 brands and is active in 189 countries worldwide. Having worked towards achieving its commitment of zero-deforestation by 2020, Nestlé now predicts “over 90% of its key agricultural commodities to be verified deforestation-free by the end of 2020, which has increased from 77% at the start of 2019”. Nestle ranked seventh in Supply Chain Digital’s top 10 global supply chains in March.

Website: https://www.nestle.com/

Revenue: US$92bn

Approx no. of employees: 328,000

HQ: Vevey, Switzerland

Executive: Ulf Mark Schneider, CEO

Featured in: Top 10 global supply chains

The technology powerhouse, Microsoft, aims to empower every person and organisation worldwide to achieve more. Microsoft helps people achieve their potential through cutting edge procurement practices and serves diverse markets globally. Conducting operations in 170 countries around the world, the company has established four key focus areas in a bid to achieve a more sustainable future in the areas of climate, agriculture, biodiversity and water. Microsoft ranked eighth in the top 10 largest sustainable supply chains worldwide in September.

Website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/

Revenue: US$125.8bn

Approx No. of employees: 144,100

HQ: Redmond, USA

Executive: Satya Nadella, CEO

Featured in: Top 10 largest sustainable supply chains worldwide

A global leader in ecommerce, Amazon offers a diverse range of services. The company operates under the divisions of Amazon Logistics, Amazon Web Services, Amazon Prime and Amazon Retail. Considered one of the “Big Four” alongside Google, Facebook and Apple, Amazon is customer-centric under the leadership of CEO and founder, Jeff Bezos. The firm has over 850 warehouse and distribution centres in 22 countries and has recently accelerated its interest in logistics, as featured in November’s edition of Supply Chain Digital.

Website: https://www.amazon.com/

Revenue: US$232.9bn

Approx No. of employees: 647,500 

HQ: Seattle, USA

Executive: Jeff Bezos, CEO and Founder

Featured in: Can Amazon be considered a logistics company?

The tech giant is one of the world’s leading brands and is also a member of the “Big Four”. The annual release of new products, such as the newest generations of iPhone and iPad, cause a significant spike in sales every year. Founded originally by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976, Apple has enjoyed staggering success over the past 43 years and, in 2018, became the first US company to be valued at over $1trn. With sustainability considered a key pillar at Apple, the company has made a concerted effort to be greener through the launch of new products, with the MacBook Air and Mac mini made from 100% recycled aluminum.   

Website: https://www.apple.com/

Revenue: US$258.5bn

Approx no. of employees: 132,000

HQ: Cupertino, USA

Executive: Tim Cook, CEO

Featured in: Top 10 largest sustainable supply chains worldwide