Business Sustainability: Where is Your Focus?

Strong indications are that we are on a road to recovery. As we rebuild our personal lives and businesses, distinctions between past and future actions need to be made. The present and future business environment indicates a potentially unlimited opportunity for prosperity and growth. The question is: Where are you focusing your attention now?

According to the Corporate Executive Board, many companies stop growing permanently in tough economic times despite the fact that many of the causes of permanent growth stalls are largely preventable. Differentiating between reactionary decisions and implementing informed business sustainability strategies can be a fine line, especially in tough times. In our professional consulting, we often qualify decisions in terms of future sustainability and future growth:

Are you cost cutting your way to out of business?
Have you reduced your internal resources to levels that place strain on operations?
Has your organization shifted economic burdens back on the supply chain creating uncertainty and increased risk in future supply?

Our sustainability consulting finds the business sustainability leaders are looking beyond basic ‘green’ concepts and the challenges of the current economy They are targeting both the present and future value of integrating business sustainability into their manufacturing and supply chain operations.

Sustainable Education and Development – Initiate and encourage expanded eco awareness, education, and ‘grass roots’ innovation within the organization.
Management Systems – Raise awareness of company’s commitment through established sustainability policies, standards, metrics, and self audits.
Sustainable Design – Consider materials selection, energy consumption, manufacturing, product use and operation, and final disposition, early in the product development process.
Waste Reduction - Anywhere there is a trash can, there should be a recycling bin.
Resource Conservation – Consider material and energy consumption across the entire value chain…reduce, reuse, recycle.
Sustainable Partnering – A key aspect of business sustainability is making sure that you manage your supply chain and partner with companies with similar values.

Integrating sustainability concepts into core business functions makes brands more attractive to consumers, executive management more respected by employees, the company more attractive to financial markets. In short, business sustainability is about making the organization stronger and more responsive for the future.